Rurouni (AU) Arc 2 - Strangers Among Me
by whiteplums76
Summary: A month has passed. While Kenshin continues to deal with his struggles, his friend Sano deals with a surprise of his own. Return to the AU of Kenshin, the high school version. A slice of life tale.
1. INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Re-Cap of Rurouni 1 – Have we met before?

High school student and football star, Kenshin Himura, was surprised at the feelings that were developing for new student Tomoe Yukishiro.

Tomoe was new in town, her family being the owners of a new small restaurant. While Kenshin was trying to understand what was happening between them, he was also trying to understand why his mother, Reiko Himura, wasn't getting better.

Reiko Himura, for the past 3 years, has tried to come to terms with the death of her husband. This is something Kenshin has kept from his friends; strangely, he finds himself opening up to Tomoe about it. When his mother goes off her medication and is taken to the hospital, Kenshin seeks Tomoe out; during a moment of pain, they kiss for the first time. It is then both realize the deep connection they have to one another.

Unable to stop their growing feelings, Kenshin decides to confront his then girlfriend Kaoru about it, but his attempt to break up with her goes wrong. Upon approaching them, Tomoe overhears part of a conversation; believing Kenshin's feelings were lies, she storms off never wanting to speak to him. Heartbroken, Kenshin tries to explain with little success; he is advised to give her space.

At the hospital, Reiko informs Kenshin that she's moving to be closer to her brother Kenji. He has found a better facility for her; not wanting her to go, Kenshin begs for her to stay, but she's adamant. She wants to get better for him.

After losing a game, a distraught Kenshin is approached by Tomoe; during their conversation, he tells her about his mom and the suggestion of taking time off from school to be with his mother. With encouragement from Tomoe, he attempts once more to explain the conversation, but she brushes it off stating how she knew she overreacted.

The story ends with them declaring their love.

And now…the continuation of the Rurouni Arc…..


	2. PROLOGUE

**Rurouni 2  
**_**Strangers among Me**_

**Prologue**

Practice was bad today. He fumbled almost every ball that was thrown at him; Coach Hiko seemed more aggressive today than usual. I suppose the phone call from Kenshin didn't help much; he was returning home the next day, but decided against furthering his football activities.

To lose his best cornerback and runner was a hit to both the coach and the team; although he understood Kenshin's reasons behind it, he felt the coach didn't have to take out his aggressions on them. He strolled down the sidewalk, his gym bag swinging loosely in his hands; after a few paces he heard his phone go off. Stopping, he withdrew it and glanced at the ID. He flipped it open.

"Sup." He stated without care.

"How was practice?"

"Practice was practice…any reason why you're concerned about that?"

There was a brief stint of silence. "By your tone I'd say it went badly."

Sano closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry Megumi."

"I heard Kenshin wasn't gonna play anymore."

"Word gets around fast." He resumed his trek.

"Kaoru told me." She said quietly.

"How is she?"

"Hard to say. On the one hand she's glad he's coming back, but on the other…."

"She still cutting daggers at Tomoe?" He laughed; surprisingly, Megumi joined in.

"I told her to get over it."

"She needs to. She's a nice looking girl; she'll find someone else." When he finally reached home, he stopped by the curb.

"So you find her attractive."

"I only meant she should move past it; Kenshin has made up his mind about Tomoe…no changing that."

"I know…you're right."

As Megumi continued to talk, Sano noticed a red motorcycle parked next to his father's jeep in the drive.

"Whoa." He breathed.

"What is it?"

Sano approached the bike slowly and made his way around it; Megumi continued to ask questions, but he hardly heard her.

"You like it?"

Sano turned quickly; standing in the door frame was a tall, thin young man with long straight dark hair. His narrow eyes appeared familiar, but Sano didn't know him; as he stood there, he kept his arms crossed.

"Let me call you back." Sano declared to Megumi. "This yours?"

The man stepped down, uncrossing his arms in the process; his face produced a smile as he approached.

"Yup…know what it is?"

Sano grinned. "It's an awesome piece of work. An all-weather Kawasaki ZRX1200S." He continued to make circles around it while the young man watched; Sano placed one hand onto the leather seat, gently caressing it.

"You want to take it for a spin?"

Sano glared at him with both excitement and caution.

"You for real?" He asked instead.

The man reached inside his pocket and produced a set of keys; he threw it at Sano, who caught them with one hand quickly. Sano looked at the keys and then to the bike.

"Maybe next time."

Both turned and found Sano's father, Hirata, emerging from the house; his expression appeared angry.

"Sano is too young." He stated to the young man.

"I just thought…"

"No. Like I said, maybe next time."

His stern face made Sano curious; he handed the keys back to the stranger.

"Sure thing…sorry." The stranger said quietly.

"It's cool." Sano glanced at his dad. "What's going on anyway?" He returned his eyes to the stranger. "Do I know you…you look familiar."

The stranger shifted on the spot, running a hand through his hair.

"You want to come inside son?" Hirata asked before turning.

Sano watched his retreating figure; he glanced once more to the stranger, then followed obediently.

Once inside, Sano placed his practice bag near the door; the stranger was close behind and smiled briefly as he passed further into the house. Sano found his father sitting in the kitchen; the stranger took the seat across from him. Sano remained in the alcove.

"Want to come in?" Hirata asked with a hand stretched toward a vacant seat.

Sano half smiled. "What's going on dad?" His voice held a nervous edge to it.

"Maybe you should sit Sano." The stranger commented sadly.

"Look, if someone doesn't tell me what the hell's going on…" He faced the stranger. "Who are you…do I know you?"

"This is Makoto Inoue."

"Okay."

"Sano," Hirata started. "This is about your mother."


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

He could feel the desire to cough enter his system; for some strange reason, he thought if he did, he would be punished for it. Not able to hold it any longer, he waited until the vibration reached his throat; instead of opening his mouth though, he coughed through closed lips. This caused his body to jerk slightly; his eyes began to water.

"Is the smoke bothering you?"

"No….no sir." He said through fits of coughing.

Principal Hajime smiled as he dispensed his cigarette; even though the window was open, the smoke still found its way inside his office. He settled back into his chair and removed a spray can; he kept his eyes focused downward on a stack of sheets as he sprayed around the room. It smelled of cinnamon.

He screwed up his nose and replaced it.

"Damn I hate that smell." He closed the drawer forcefully before flipping through the sheets.

"Then why do you have it?"

"My wife bought it…said it reminds her of Christmas."

His visitor laughed.

Principal Hajime lifted his gaze and actually smiled; he leaned back, folding his arms in the process.

"Happy to be back young Himura?"

"Yes sir." Kenshin stated with a smile.

"You look…different." He said with a crooked grin. Hajime placed two fingers on his left cheek. "Beauty mark?"

Kenshin lifted his hand and touched the scar on his cheek…a cross shaped scar. His eyes lowered.

"My…mom did this." Kenshin stated softly.

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"She was off her medication at the time…she didn't mean to do it." Kenshin lowered his hand, lying them flat in his lap.

Hajime sat up, regretting his comment. "Kenshin…."

Kenshin lifted his head, a broad smile on his face. "It's okay principal; she's fine now. The medication they gave her is working better."

"I'm glad." Hajime smiled. "Well, let's get down to business shall we?"

Kenshin nodded as Hajime gathered the few papers in front of him.

"You're not that far behind, but it would still benefit you if you stayed after school some days to catch up; that way you'll be able to graduate with your class."

Kenshin nodded when Hajime faced him.

"I noticed you decided to forgo your football career." He glanced up. "Have you spoken to Coach Hiko about this?"

"Yes sir, I called him yesterday…he seemed…upset."

Hajime laughed. "He would. We had another game after you left…they lost by a large margin."

"I just don't think it's important right now."

"I understand, you don't have to explain it to me."

"Whenever I catch up maybe, but…"

Hajime held up his hands. "Kenshin…it's okay. The school will not fall just because the infamous Kenshin is no longer on the football team." Both laughed.

"I'll set your schedule up." He started writing. "You may have to come several Saturdays."

"It's fine. How long do you think it'll take before I'm caught up?"

Hajime stared at him. "Let's play it by ear. Is there any particular reason you asked?"

Kenshin began to rub his hands together nervously; noticing the movement, Hajime became curious.

"Is there something wrong Himura?"

"I was just wondering that's all." His smile was crooked.

Hajime glared at him briefly before returning to his work.

"Alright." He glanced at his watch. "Why don't you catch some breakfast? The cafeteria should be opening right about now."

"Thank you sir." Kenshin got to his feet.

"Try to have a good day Kenshin." Hajime spoke without looking up. "See me after school; I should have the schedule ready by then."

"Thank you sir."

Kenshin exited the room, almost running into Yahiko.

"HEY KENSHIN!" Yahiko threw his arms around Kenshin. "When did you get back?"

"Last night."

Yahiko's happy face fell when he noticed the scar.

"Say, what happened to you? Did you already meet up with Kaoru?" He joked.

Kenshin tried to smile, but it was forced. "No…just a small accident."

"That doesn't look like no accident."

"Yeah."

"Where are you going? I'm heading to the cafeteria myself."

"Me too."

"Cool."

**They entered the cafeteria just when one of the cooks, a large man wearing a hairnet, placed the final tray onto a long table. He turned in their direction when he heard the door.

"You're kind of early." He barked, his face screwed in anger. "It's not ready yet."

Yahiko pointed to the table. "So what is that?"

"Don't get smart! You know we have to lay it out…"

"Yeah whatever." Yahiko waved a hand in the air; Kenshin watched with apprehension.

The man in the hairnet grew angry; Kenshin could have sworn the man's body doubled in size.

"TATSUMI!"

Tatsumi's anger subsided as a heavyset woman appeared by his side; she placed one hand onto his shoulder.

"Are you giving these young people a hard time?" She asked sweetly.

"They're too early."

She glanced at the wall clock. "Just by five minutes; I'm sure it'll be fine."

Tatsumi faced her with a stern expression.

"We have a schedule. If we allow them to eat before it's time, we'll have to keep doing it for everybody."

She smiled at him. "It's not gonna hurt." She faced Yahiko and Kenshin. "Go on…enjoy."

Angered, Tatsumi watched as they gathered their meal; when Kenshin retrieved his plate, he kept his eyes averted from the large man. Finally, he heard the woman guiding him away.

Yahiko laughed as he took a bite of his meal.

"That man's crazy."

"You shouldn't have been rude to him Yahiko." He faced the kitchen. "He's…kind of creepy."

"Oh he's harmless; I doubt he could hurt a fly." He continued to eat. "So…not playing ball anymore?"

"Seems to be the hot topic this morning; Principal Hajime asked me about that too." He began to eat himself.

"Well, you were the best."

"There are other people Yahiko."

"Sure…whatever you say." He glanced around; the room was slowly filling up with other students. He watched as Tatsumi greeted them with a smile.

"How's Kaoru?"

Yahiko was surprised to hear Kenshin ask the question. Although he wasn't facing him, Kenshin could feel Yahiko's eyes boring into him.

"I tried calling her, but…I guess she's still angry with me."

"Can you blame her?" There was silence. "But she's fine."

"I don't know why we can't be friends. We've known one another for a while." Kenshin stated sadly. "Things happen."

"I guess." He continued to stare around the room; he noticed Megumi situated in a corner talking to another girl with short hair.

"There's Megumi." Kenshin turned in her direction; her face was a mask of boredom as her companion continued to talk.

"She looks happy." Yahiko said with a laugh.

"Hey guys!"

Yahiko and Kenshin were now facing Kaoru; her smile was forced, but then softened as she glared at Kenshin.

"Welcome ba…what happened?" She approached him, reaching a hand out to his cheek. "You're hurt."

Kenshin produced a forced smile of his own as he drew back slightly. "Just an accident…I'm fine…how are you?"

Hurt by his reaction, she pulled back. "Good…couldn't be better." She pulled out a seat and sat.

"Makes him look dangerous huh?" Yahiko asked. "You could be one of those assassin's in that era you like so much."

"Shut up Yahiko! How's…your mom?" Her expression showed true concern. Kenshin appreciated this.

"Doing better thanks."

Kaoru smiled.

"You seen Sano yet?" Yahiko asked as he downed his drink.

"Not yet, but you know he's usually on the practice field around this time anyway." Kaoru stated. "Did you ask Megumi?" She jerked her head in that general direction.

"She looked…kind of busy." Yahiko stated with amusement. "I think I'll go save her." He picked up his tray and walked over; this left Kenshin and Kaoru alone at the table.

She started to fiddle with the straps on her bag.

"Soooo," she began. "Glad to be back?"

Kenshin nodded as he continued to eat.

"We missed you."

"I tried calling you Kaoru…how come you wouldn't take my calls?" He faced her.

She looked away, playing with her hair.

"Phone's been busted." She stated.

"I called your house too; your mom said…"

"Yeah well…never got the messages."

"Kaoru."

"Look…Kenshin." She faced him. "I'm glad your mom's doing better…I really am."

"Thank you."

"But…you really hurt me. What you did was…" He looked away. "How can I ever forgive you?"

"I'm sorry Kaoru," he faced her once more. "I really am, but…I couldn't help how I felt."

She stared at his sad expression for a while.

"I don't want to throw away our friendship." He mentioned after some time.

"I don't know. Maybe…in time…I'll feel different, but right now…."

"I understand." He said quietly.

"I better get going." She gathered her things and walked out quickly; just when she was leaving the area, Kenshin spotted Sano. He appeared distracted as Kaoru greeted him; he noticed how forced his smile was as he spoke to her.

He wondered what was going on.


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

He was thumbing through his new school books when she appeared around the corner; her jet black hair was lose this time and hanging down her back. He watched with fascination as it swayed with each step she took; mesmerized, he continued to flip the papers, but with an added force to it. This caused him to swipe his hand too quickly.

"OUCH….SHIT!" His finger burned from the sting.

"KIYOSATO!" Tomoe sat in the vacant seat in front of him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He brought his finger to his mouth, sucking on the blood. "Burns like hell though."

She placed her books on the top of his desk and took his hand. "Let me see."

Kiyosato stared at her. Her lips puckered as she blew on the cut; her cool breath stirred things within him. Her eyes were half closed as she continued to blow on it; Kiyosato swallowed hard.

"It's…not that bad Tomoe." He whispered as he continued to watch her. He removed his hand from her grip, placing it onto his lap.

"You'll stain your clothes."

"It's okay." He produced a handkerchief and wrapped the small wound. "I'll grab a band-aide before class." He got to his feet. "Excuse me."

Tomoe watched him with confusion.

Kiyosato Akira was glad to be away from her; being near Tomoe always did things to his body. He's been in love with Tomoe since they were little; they grew up together in the same neighborhood. Enishi even looked up to him as an older brother; oftentimes, whenever they were away, Tomoe's parents would ask him to sit with Enishi. He was glad to it, knowing the gesture pleased Tomoe; doing anything to make Tomoe happy was his mission.

When his father announced they were moving to another city, Kiyosato was crushed; he always believed he and Tomoe would attend the same high school and college together. He even had fantasies that they would marry; his family loved her and the Yukishiro family. They were like a second family to him, but the move was inevitable; the day he said good-bye to her was the hardest thing he ever did. It was also the first time they kissed.

After the move, he and Tomoe kept in touch; then, one evening she surprised him with a surprise of her own. They were moving to the same town; when he mentioned this to his parents they weren't surprised. Her father, Yoritomo already phoned with a request to locate a home for them. By happenstance, the house down the street from them was for sale; Kiyosato thought it was fate.

Ever since the Yukishiro's moved in, he and Enishi resumed their brotherly relationship; Kiyosato even promised to take him fishing one day, but Kiyosato broke his leg and couldn't. Instead, he helped Enishi gather worms in their backyard.

His mind was in a fog when he reached the nurses' office; he opened the door and was greeted by the secretary's friendly smile.

"Good morning Akira."

"Morning." He held out his hand. "I need a band-aide please."

**Even though it was still early, she still looked out for him; everytime someone would enter the classroom, her heart would jump hoping it was him.

He called her when he arrived home; distracted by the condition of his house, they conversed shortly before hanging up. She wasn't able to get anything out of him; his mother's episode, the screaming matches between him and his uncle and now the house, were all piling up on him and she knew it. She laid her head in her palm.

"Why so sad?"

The voice ignited something in her. She looked up and found Kenshin smiling down at her.

"You know I hate it when you're sad."

She jumped up and threw her arms around him; those who were in the class clapped. Her cheeks turned pink; embarrassed, she let go.

Kenshin laughed. "Missed me that much huh?"

"You know I did."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Aw, that's not a kiss!" Someone yelled.

"Give it to him good Tomoe!"

The class erupted in laughter; Kenshin and Tomoe joined in.

"Want to talk outside?" He took her hand before receiving a response; as they exited, Kiyosato was returning. He watched them move down the hall, his curiosity growing.

Kenshin led her a few doors down the hall and into the stair well; there, he took her into his arms and held her tightly, breathing in her scent of white plums.

"I missed you so much." He whispered.

"I missed you too."

When they pulled back, she placed her hand on his scar; her eyes growing sad. He covered it with his own.

"She's fine now." He stated as he led her to the stairs; they sat together. "Her medication seems to be working well…thank goodness. Since she's doing so well, they decided to move her to another location; Uncle Kenji has a meeting with the staff tomorrow. He wants to make sure they're on point about her schedule."

"I'm glad. Do you know where?"

"Not yet, but my uncle said he'll keep me informed." He paused briefly. "Sorry about the late call. When I got in…"

"It's okay." They smiled. "Was everything alright when you got home?"

He sighed. "No. There was a notice on the door; that's why I had to get off with you. I called my uncle, but he already knew."

"He didn't tell you?"

"Didn't think I needed to know."

"What does this mean…where will you live now?"

"The coach said I could stay with him for a while, but…"

"What?"

"I don't want to lose my home Tomoe." His voice held pain. "That's where…we lived with dad."

She took his hand and squeezed it.

"My uncle wouldn't talk to me about how much is owed; we got into another fighting match last night." He ran his hands up and down his face. "Ugh."

"Can't you make some sort of arrangement with the bank or something?"

"My hands are tied Tomoe; my uncle has control of everything…said he's handling it." He lowered his hands and glanced down. "I don't think he is; I think he's gonna let the house go."

"But that's not fair to you." She paused briefly. "Your mother doesn't know does she?"

Kenshin's smile was small. "No and I doubt he'll tell her too."

Tomoe laid her head on his shoulder which caused him to wrap an arm around her. She started playing with his shirt sleeve.

"I wish I could help." She whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "You being here is enough for me."

"Everything alright?"

Standing behind them was Sano; he was leaning against the bannister with one hand on a small toothpick protruding from his mouth.

"Welcome back Kenshin." Sano's smile didn't reach his eyes; Kenshin and Tomoe both stood, their hands still interlocked.

"Hey man, I was looking for you this morning."

"Yeah well, been around." Sano glanced at Tomoe and tried to smile.

"I…better get going." She kissed Kenshin. "What's your first class anyway?"

"Don't have a first period; I was gonna head to the library for a bit."

"Okay."

"I'll catch you at lunch."

"Sure." She kissed him once more. "Be good." She approached Sano. "You too." She said before walking away.

Sano watched as her form disappeared around the corner.

"Funny." He stated as he moved closer to a larger window behind them; Kenshin joined him.

"What's up…you okay?" Kenshin asked once beside him.

Sano leaned onto the frame, looking out into the school yard.

"How's things with your mom?"

"Fine, but…answer my question."

"Practice was shit yesterday so…I had a bad morning."

Kenshin laughed as he crossed his arms; he leaned against the sill.

"Tell me about it; coach gave me a mouth full when I saw him this morning."

"Hmm."

"We all know Coach Hiko means well, but." He faced his longtime friend. "I doubt his attitude is why you look so down."

"I told you…I had a bad morning."

"Sano." Kenshin whispered as he placed a hand onto Sano's arm, forcing him to face him. "It's me remember…you can talk to me."

Sano was quiet as he stared at him.

"Not today man."

Kenshin watched sadly as Sano made his way down the stairs.

**Sano didn't feel like going to class; he didn't feel like going to school. As the bell rung, he made his way to the practice field; he noticed coach Hiko setting up a few cones. He stood there for a while, but when Hiko noticed him he stopped; Hiko shaded his eyes, attempting to see who was on the field. Whoever it was, he waved them over; Sano wasn't going to approach, but figured it was pointless now to avoid him.

Hiko placed the final cone onto the field and checked his clipboard; Sano stood beside him, hands in pockets, staring down at the grass.

"Want to tell me why you're not in class?" Hiko asked without looking in his direction.

"I don't know."

Hiko faced him, his eyes angry. "Skipping class is kind of extreme for you isn't it Sagara?"

"Everyone skips class coach," he turned away. "No big deal."

Hiko grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "You came out here for a reason?"

"Honestly, I came this way thinking I could miss the eyes of Hajime."

Hiko removed his hand. "So you just wanted to leave school grounds…why?"

"I told you…people skip class all together."

Hiko laughed. This caused Sano to look at him.

"You're a terrible liar Sagara, but…" He walked away. "I don't have time for games."

"OH I GET IT! YOUR PRECIOUS PLAYER ISN'T HERE SO YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED…IS THAT IT?"

Hiko faced him with concern; Sano, regretting his outburst, looked away.

"Forget it."

Hiko watched is form take a few steps then stop; Sano leaned to one side, his head lowering. Hiko could hear him exhale.

"If you want to talk Sagara…you know I'm here for you."

**Sano sat across from his coach; in front of him was a bottle of water.

"Are you gonna drink it?" Sano lifted his head in confusion. "You've been staring at it since I put it down."

Hiko leaned back in his seat. "This must be hard for you." Sano eyed him. "Coming to me with whatever is on your mind; you've never done it before."

"Hmm." He looked away.

"Is there some reason why you couldn't talk to your dad about what's going on?" Sano remained silent. "Unless it has something to do with him." Sano made a move. "I see."

"As much as I appreciate you guys trusting me with your problems, I can't sit here and wait you out Sano; I have a class to teach in an hour."

Sano produced a crooked smile. "You think we'll talk that long?"

"By the rate you're going now…it may."

Sano heard the seriousness in his voice; he faced him. Hiko sat up and leaned forward, placing his forearms onto the desk; his face showed concern.

"Talk to me."

Hiko's tender voice ripped through Sano, but he would never allow anyone to see him cry; he took in a deep breath and began.

"My…father lied to me."


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He knew he was talking, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. His mouth was moving, but all he heard was silence; his eyes showed concern and sadness, but…why? His mind was blank as the two pair of eyes faced him.

"Sano?"

He faced his father. Hirata could see the confusion on his face.

"What…I don't understand." Sano said quietly. He faced the stranger known as Makoto. "You said…she….died?"

Makoto had his hands on the table; he looked down at them, his eyes filled with sadness. "Yes…a month ago. She was very sick."

"But." He turned to his father once more. "Why…didn't you tell me she was sick?"

"I didn't know son."

"But…I thought you…you said you talked to her…I even heard you sometimes…"

"I wasn't talking to your mother."

"Then who…"

"It doesn't matter."

"WHY NOT?"

"Listen." Makoto broke in. "The point is," he paused as he gathered himself. "Her sickness left her….she didn't want a burial; she requested cremation."

"What?" Sano's whisper was filled with anger and shock. "You can't do that."

"It was by her request….I'm sorry." Makoto stated.

"The memorial service is this weekend." Hirata finally found a voice.

"What…what about her remains?" Sano couldn't say the words.

"She'll be placed in her family mausoleum." Hirata answered. "You'll be able to visit her."

"I'm sorry to bring this news." Makoto started; he faced Hirata once more. "But…I wanted to be the one to tell you."

"Why," Sano looked at him. "Who are you…her husband? A little young aren't you?"

Makoto actually smiled.

"No….I'm not her husband." He looked down at his hands. "I'm her son."

Sano was speechless.

"Son?" He looked at his father and then back to Makoto. "How could you be her son….you're older than me aren't you?"

Makoto faced him. "Graduated college not too long ago, so…yeah."

"Was…was she married before? She never told me."

"Your mother wasn't married before Sano." Hirata interjected.

"Then how can she have a..." He faced his father. "Is he my brother?"

"Half-brother." Makoto added. Sano returned his attention to him. "Your mother…" He paused, looking toward Hirata for assistance.

"It's the reason your mother left son."

"Why don't you tell him the whole truth Hirata?"

The way in which Makoto spoke made Sano worry; he watched each man and saw the sparks flying between them. There was anger and rage there.

"It's pointless now Makoto; why get into it?"

"He should know the truth."

"The truth is his mother walked out on us."

"NO...YOU KICKED HER OUT!"

"DON'T YELL IN MY HOUSE….SHOW SOME RESPECT!"

"STOP!" Sano leapt to his feet. "What is going on here?"

Makoto got to his feet as well, facing Sano with anxiety. "Sano, listen…all these years you thought your mother walked out on you…it wasn't true."

Hirata stood as well. "Don't listen to him."

"She told me she never stopped thinking about you…never stopped loving you."

"What…what are you talking about?" Sano asked quietly. "My mom left when I was small." He faced his father. "You told me she didn't want to be a mom anymore."

"He lied to you." Makoto interjected which caused Sano to face him; Makoto could see the pain etched on his young face.

"Your mom met a man when she was away…my dad. They worked together on some project…became friends…they fell in love."

"Such bullshit!" Hirata screamed.

Makoto ignored it and continued. "They had a brief affair which produced me. When she found out she was pregnant, she didn't know how to tell your father…so, she went away to have me. She left me with my dad. A few short years later, when you were still small, she decided she wanted both of us. So she came home and confessed what happened."

"She…left me without saying…." Sano began.

"Your father wouldn't allow her to see you. You came home from school and she was gone right?" Sano nodded. "He wanted to make you think she didn't love you anymore; it was easier."

"It was for his best interest." Hirata interjected; the two boys faced him. "How could she just do that? Go off with some stranger and…have an affair; what kind of woman does that? I thought…she was happy."

"Things happen Hirata." Makoto stated with a softer tone. "She doesn't regret being with my father or having me, but she does regret the pain she put you two through."

"Why should I believe you?"

Makoto turned to Sano who was staring at him with anger.

"Sano…I." Makoto began.

"You come in here with this…tale and expect us to believe it? Who are you and what do you really want?"

Makoto took a step back at the anger displayed in his eyes.

"I….just wanted to know my little brother."

"You're a liar."

"Sano." He turned to his father. "He's not lying."

Hirata took a deep breath. "Your mother had an affair…I kicked her out. I forbade her from contacting you and she complied."

"But…why would she…"

"You have to understand…I was hurt…angry she left me for another man. I…wanted to punish her and I knew…not speaking to you was the way to do it."

Sano was growing sicker by the moment; he placed his hands in his hair, feeling the room spin.

"I never meant…"

But Hirata's words were lost on him; Sano ran from the room and left the house.

**Sano was standing by then, staring into a glass encased trophy shelf; he was staring at his reflected face. He could see Hiko's outline near his desk; his head lowered, staring at his hands.

"I just ran. All the way to school…ran a few laps…then I…just walked."

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere I guess. Makoto found me…forgot where." He turned, but didn't face Hiko. "He took me home...dad tried to talk to me, but….I didn't want to hear him. I…didn't know him anymore. All these years he lied about mom…about her not wanting me…not loving me." He faced him this time. "How could he do that coach?"

"I don't know Sano." He said sadly. He sat back as Sano approached his desk; he remained standing.

"Makoto offered a room to me; said I could stay with him if I didn't want to go back home."

"Are you gonna take him up on the offer?"

"Should I?" He looked at him with desperation.

"He is part of your mother." Sano glanced away. "If you don't feel comfortable staying with him, why not just visit him…spend some time; maybe learn who your mother was after she left."

"Yeah…I suppose."

Hiko got to his feet and approached his pupil.

"I can't tell you what to do Sano." He placed a hand to his shoulder. "But…I would suggest thinking really hard about it; Makoto wants to connect with you…your father…appears regretful."

"I'm can't forgive him." He said suddenly.

"Now's not the time to think about it; just take it one step at a time." He patted his shoulder. "You'll come to the decision that works best for you."

Sano half smiled. "Thanks coach."

Hiko smiled as well. "I should start charging you guys for my advice."

"Yeah, you missed your calling."

Hiko turned and returned to his desk.

"So are you still going to cut school?" Hiko retrieved a folder.

"Nah, think I'll go check on Kenshin."

"You do that."

His tone made Sano stare at him with curiosity.

**The vibration caught him by surprise; removing the phone from his pocket, he glanced at the ID before running into the hall.

"Hey." He said with sudden reluctance.

"Kenshin….I'm sorry about last night. I was just…there's no excuse for it."

"It's okay Uncle Kenji."

"No it's not; if your mother knew how I spoke to you…" He paused. "Anyway, I went to the bank today and made some arrangements with them."

Kenshin's heart jumped. "So…does that mean I can go back home?"

"Yeah."

Kenshin felt his eyes burn. "Thanks Uncle."

"It's not much an arrangement, not to me at least. The payment is still so fucking high…damn." He whispered.

"I can get a job."

"You're still in high school."

"It could be part time."

"Even if you did, it wouldn't be enough to cover the monthly payments." He sighed. "I have to figure something out on my end…again."

Kenshin felt bad that his uncle had to do this; he was sure his mother felt the same if she knew.

"Maybe…maybe if I took some time off from…."

"NO…DON'T EVEN THINK IT!"

"But I can help!"

"I will not allow you to quit school Kenshin."

"It's not quitting Uncle…just a long break." He heard silence. "I can always go back."

"Kenshin…no." He said softly.

"Uncle…I'm old enough to make my own decisions on this matter."

He waited, but heard nothing.

"Uncle Kenji?"

"This isn't right Kenshin." He whispered.

"It's just school." He tried to laugh.

"It's your future we're talking about."

"I wouldn't be the first. People have forgone school to help their families only to return….I can do the same." He waited. When no reply came, he continued. "I want to help Uncle…it's my home too." Kenshin found his voice cracking from the pain.

Kenji sighed. "Alright Kenshin…if this is what you want."

"I do."

"You have to promise me once things have settled…"

"I'll go back…I promise."

"Good. Your mom's going to kill me."

"Not if she doesn't find out."

Kenji's laugh was sarcastic. "Oh trust me, she'll find out. Your mom was the sneaky one."

This time Kenshin joined in the laughter.

"Um," Kenji began. "I guess I can come down this weekend…we can discuss things in further detail…where are you?"

"At school."

"I guess you better talk to your principal about this now."

"I will."

"Listen Kenshin, let's agree on something alright?"

"Sure."

"This quitting school…it's not quitting okay…you're taking a hiatus."

"Right."

"You tell your principal that. You don't need to go into specifics about why you're doing it…that's our business."

"I'll tell him something he'll be satisfied with; my principal usually doesn't ask a lot of questions, but he may want to discuss it further with you."

"Probably." There was silence on the line.

"Uncle Kenji?"

"Yeah."

"It'll be fine…I know it will."

"You know….you get more and more like your father everyday."

Kenshin held back the tears. "Thanks."

"Yeah…well, call me later on when you get things settled. If you need some references don't hesitate to let me know; when I get down there we'll work on this job hunting thing together…sounds like a plan?"

"Sure does."

"Alright…bye now."

"Bye."

Kenshin hung up just as Sano was rounding the corner; he didn't stop to speak to him though. He said a hurried greeting before grabbing his books and heading out.

Kenshin reached Principal Hajime's office just when he was leaving; he had a walkie-talkie in his hands and his face was pure evil.

"Damn kids." He mumbled before facing Kenshin with a start. "Hey there…didn't see you."

Kenshin had to smile; although the principal was very stern and feared, he had to like him.

"Off somewhere principal?"

"It doesn't concern you Himura." He started down the hall; Kenshin followed. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to speak to you."

"Can it wait? Come back after school, I'll have your schedule ready by then."

"It's about that sir."

Hajime stopped and faced him. "Oh?"

"Yes…you see…there's been a change of plans."

**This time Kenshin allowed the coughing to be heard, but Hajime didn't care; he continued to puff away at his cigarette. His face was averted from Kenshin, a look of anger and disappointment etched clearly in each groove.

"This is an insane idea." He spoke.

"I'm not the first." Kenshin repeated from his previous conversation.

"That is true, but do you know not many people bounce back from quitting school…especially high school." He faced him, the cigarette choking between his fingers. "Why Kenshin...is it your mom?"

Kenshin massaged his legs. "Kind of."

Hajime sat, forgetting the cigarette briefly.

"I thought things were fine?"

"They are."

"Then why this decision? If her brother has everything under control…"

"Sir," he interrupted. "Things are just…kind of hectic for him right now. I want to help him out."

"I appreciate your concern, but does he know about this?"

"Yes sir."

"And he's on board?"

"He's allowing me make this decision."

Hajime shook his head. "I'm sorry, but your uncle doesn't know what he's doing."

"I'm sorry principal sir, but…this is my decision. I want to help out until my mom is discharged and starts working again."

He paused before speaking. "And if she doesn't? Have you thought about what she may…"

"Yes." Kenshin could feel himself grow angry. "I know she would probably say what you're saying, but….as I mentioned before…this is my decision."

Hajime leaned back, running a hand down the length of his long face.

"Just this morning you were eager to get back…now you're ready to quit? What changed since then?"

"I'm not quitting."

"IT'S QUITTING KENSHIN…NO MATTER HOW YOU SAY IT!"

Kenshin was both surprised by his outburst and the use of his first name.

Realizing his lack of tack, Hajime gathered himself.

"I care very deeply about my students Himura," he spoke quietly. "And when one decides to quit…I just have to step in."

"Principal sir…this is happening…I have to help my family." Hajime stared at him sadly. "Trust me when I say…I will return to school…you can count on me for that."

Hajime lowered his eyes, playing with the side of his ashtray.

"If you want to speak to my uncle…"

"No…that won't be necessary." He covered his eyes briefly before resting his cheek in his palm. "Did you want to wait until the week was over?"

"I don't see the point." He almost laughed.

"Hmm." He faced Kenshin. "I suppose I should call security." Kenshin looked on with confusion. "Technically, you're trespassing since you don't attend this school anymore."

Kenshin saw a hint of a smile. He found it odd this man was having a hard time with this. Kenshin stood.

"No reason sir." He said as he respectfully bowed to him.

"Before you go Kenshin…I want to make one thing clear." Hajime remained seated, but now his face was to the window. "I don't want to see you make a shambles of your life…you're too good a person for that."

"I won't let you down sir." He walked to the door.

Hajime stayed rooted to his spot as the door opened and closed; after some time, the walkie-talkie's he had stationed on his desk went off. Leaning forward, he grabbed one.

"Yeah."

"Sir, I thought you were coming to the cafeteria…they started throwing the potatoes."

Hajime couldn't help, but smile. "Oh Kenshin…to leave this behind?"

He got to his feet and walked out.


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lunchtime had finally arrived; Tomoe decided to take her lunch to a shaded tree her and Kenshin usually sat at. When she left the school, she noticed Sano sitting alone; glancing at her watch, she figured she had time to visit with him. She walked over.

Sano was pulling up the grass when a shadow loomed over his form; he glanced up and found Tomoe staring down at him with a smile.

"Want some company?" She didn't wait for an answer.

"Thought you'd be with Kenshin." He said not facing her.

"Must be running late. How are you doing…you looked kind of down this morning."

He shrugged.

"It's cool if you don't want to talk about it." She brought her bag in front of her and pulled out her bento box. "You want some? I always make too much."

Sano glared at the assortment of food littered inside; his stomach began to growl, but he turned from it.

"Shouldn't you save that for Kenshin?"

"Oh I made one for him…this is mine." She pushed it closer to him. "You can have some."

"No thanks."

"That's what your mind says, but I heard your stomach speaking and it said 'Me Hungry." Her last line was done comically which produced a smile from Sano; she made one final attempt to get him to eat. She was rewarded when he took the entire box.

She watched as he stuffed the food into his mouth; it brought a smile to her face.

"This is good." He said with a mouth full of food.

"I'm glad you like it." She laughed.

He started to slow down. "I've…been having some family issues."

Sano placed the box between them so they could share; she extracted a rice ball and started to eat it slowly.

"What happened?"

Sano swallowed.

"My um…"

"TOMOE!" Kenshin was coming toward them; when she raised her hand in greeting, she noticed Sano getting to his feet.

"You're leaving?" She asked with concern.

Sano started brushing the grass from his pants when Kenshin was next to them.

"I'll leave you two alone." He stated before walking away.

"Sano?" Tomoe called, but he walked on. "Kenshin…go talk to him."

Kenshin glanced at his retreating figure before returning his gaze to her. "He'll be fine." He sat down. "I need to talk to you."

She watched Sano disappear over a hill and then returned her attention to Kenshin.

"I made you a lunch." She extracted the box from her bag, but he placed a hand on it.

"Maybe you better save that." He turned briefly. "I can't stay long."

"Why not…what's wrong?"

"Technically…I'm not supposed to be here."

"What…what are you talking about?" She grinned. "You're uncover or something."

"I wish." He looked at her, all the humor gone from his face.

As he told her what happened, her features began to change; he couldn't make them out. First, she was surprised, then concerned, angry, and now concerned once more; absently, he extracted a dango ball from her box and ate it. The sweet bean paste was scrumptious.

"I know you want to help out Kenshin, but…quitting?"

"I consider it hiatus."

"And you're fine with this?"

"No, but…what else can I do? I don't want to lose the house."

"It's just wood and bricks Kenshin; the memories are in your heart."

He looked away. "I know, but…" He heard her intake of breath.

"I can't tell you what to do." He faced her. She was looking away, the sun catching her hair causing it to shine.

"Tomoe?" She faced him. "Please tell me you support my decision."

"You know I do." He smiled with relief. "I just don't want you to regret this."

"Why would I regret it? Like I explained to the principal and uncle…people can return…it's no big deal."

She looked down and started playing with the fabric on her bag.

"I guess."

He guided her face up to meet his.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too."

As their lips connected, a shadow loomed over them; Kenshin disconnected and glanced up.

"You're not supposed to be here Himura." Hajime stated with a stern face. "Maybe I should call security."

Kenshin smiled, kissing Tomoe one final time before getting to his feet.

"No reason sir….I'm sorry."

"You should be. If I catch you here again…"

"You won't….bye Tomoe."

"Bye." She watched him go.

"Ah love." Tomoe stared up at Hajime. "It can make you do stupid things." He glanced down. "You agree Ms. Tomoe?"

But instead of waiting for an answer, he just walked away, screaming to a pair of students in the process.

**Kaoru watched the entire exchange. First she wondered what was wrong with Sano; then she wondered why Kenshin left so suddenly. She continued to watch as Tomoe sat alone eating her lunch; after a short while, a shy looking guy with short hair approached her. She smiled up at him as he sat; she pointed to his finger and he held it up to her. She appeared…comfortable with this guy; Kaoru wondered who he was.

"Hey Megumi."

"Yeah?"

"Who's that guy talking to Ms. Perfect?"

Megumi turned in the indicated direction; she watched for a few seconds.

"Oh, that's Kiyosato Akira…you don't know him?"

"Never seen him before."

Megumi placed a large dumpling in her mouth. "Not surprised; never ran in the circles you and Kenshin ran in. Speaking of which…where is he?"

Kaoru returned to her meal, but kept her eyes on the pair.

"He ran off when principal Hajime approached them." She picked up her phone and stared at his name.

"Hmmm."

"Sano was there earlier…looked like he brushed him off."

"Dinner theater for you isn't it?" Megumi remarked with a sidelong glance.

Kaoru shoved her playfully with her arm. "Shut up." She glanced at the pair before returning her eyes to the phone. "Do you think…if I called him he would pick up?"

"Maybe he's busy…give the guy a break."

Annoyed, Kaoru closed the phone, replacing it back into her bag.

"What's up with Sano anyway…he seems kind of out of it."

"I don't know." She finished off one dumpling and retrieved another. "He's been spaced out since he got here; I just left him alone."

Kaoru stared at her curiously. "Why…don't you care?"

"I care about him, but there is only so much I can do; I asked him what was bothering him when I saw him this morning…he just said nothing in that tone of his and walked off. I don't have time for that."

"Oh."

"Besides…Sano has a mouth. If he wanted to talk he would so…."

Kaoru's curiosity was peeked; once again, she reached inside her bag and retrieved her phone, but instead of trying to call Kenshin, she chose to text him.

"What are you doing?"

Kaoru found Megumi watching over her shoulder; she tried to hide her phone from her eyes.

"Leave Kenshin alone."

"I just want to know what's going on with him and Sano…maybe he knows something."

She started clicking:

_Kenshin, Sano's been kind of low…do you know what's going on? And how come you left? Are you coming back?_

She held her finger over the 'send' button, unsure now whether to press it; this morning, she basically told him she didn't want to talk to him. What would sending a message say about that?

Annoyed, she instead deleted the message and closed her phone.

"Decided not to?" Megumi asked.

"No." She once again stared at Kiyosato and Tomoe. "I have a better idea."

Kaoru caught up with Kiyosato just after lunch; he was standing near his locker, stuffing a collection of books inside.

"Hey." She leaned against his neighbors' locker, holding her books close to her. "Kiyosato right?"

"Yeah….hey." With his books securely in place, he closed the door and waited. "What can I do for you?"

"I saw you at lunch…you were talking with Tomoe Yukishiro?"

She noted his blush. He ran a hand through his wild hair.

"Yeah…she and I grew up together."

"Really? That's cool."

"Yeah, you uh…mind walking with me…I need to get to class."

"Sure."

They walked in silence briefly.

"So…did you need something from me?" He asked suddenly.

"I was just wondering how you felt about her."

Kiyosato stopped with a start. "What…why would you ask that? We're just friends…"

"Oh please, I saw how you looked at her."

Kiyosato began to rub a hand up and down his arm.

"You're imaging things I'm sure."

"Alright…if you say so."

She started to walk away.

"Wait!" She smiled as he approached her. "What…what does it matter that I like her?" She faced him. "She's going out with Kenshin anyway."

"They hardly know one another."

"But still…her brother told me they were in love."

Kaoru waved a hand in the air. "High school crushes break up all the time."

Kiyosato smirked. "Tell me about it."

"Listen, why don't you try to win her heart?"

"How…am I supposed to do that?"

"You have an edge Kenshin doesn't…childhood memories. Nothing beats that; hell, my parents grew up together too and they're still in love."

"Yeah, my parents did too. They still act like teenagers."

"You see."

"But…what about Kenshin?"

"What about him?"

He ran a hand through his hair once more. "Well, I don't know him that well, but…he seems like a nice guy; I don't want to hurt him or anything."

Kaoru laughed. "You're not going to hurt him. Just focus your attention on Tomoe…go back to your childhood…make her see that you two have more of a connection. When she breaks up with Kenshin…he'll move on. He's strong that way."

Kiyosato felt hopeful. "You sure?"

"Positive."

He glanced down, but then brought his head up.

"You're right…I'll do it."

"Great."

**When school was finally over, Megumi searched out Sano; she was getting worried about him. This term, she didn't have him in any of her classes; after lunch, she found herself thinking about him more. She tried calling his cellular between breaks, but it always went to voicemail; she texted him several times, but they always went unanswered. As she exited the school, she knew of one place he would be.

She found him running around the field - he was shirtless. She approached the field slowly, but was surprised to find Coach Hiko sitting near the sideline in a chair; his face was down and he had a clipboard in his hand. She noticed a bullhorn sitting near his feet; she wondered what was going on.

Hiko picked up the bullhorn, checked a watch and stood.

"TIME…COME ON BACK!"

Megumi watched as Sano slowed; breathing hard, he slumped over, placing both hands on his legs. Hiko made his way over to him; she heard the faint sound of their conversation. They were out there for a while before Sano spotted her. He raised a hand in greeting; Hiko turned as well briefly before returning his attention back to Sano. Megumi did not move.

Hiko made his way back to the sideline, but Sano stayed in the field; she made her way to the field, passing Hiko in the process.

"Is it okay I talk to him?" She asked.

"Sure, but don't stay too long. Got to close up."

"Okay."

She quickly made her way onto the field, but Sano was doing the same; he was throwing a shirt over his sweaty body, causing it to stick to his frame. Megumi blushed. Sano had a towel in his hands, which he ran down his face.

"Hey…thought you went home?" He asked once they were together.

"I came looking for you….I was worried."

He smiled for the first time since this morning. "Thanks."

He leaned in and kissed her; Megumi placed her hand onto his chest and pushed him away. Although Sano was hurt by the rejection, he smiled when he noted her smile as well.

"I smell huh?" He asked.

"Just a little."

"I'M LOCKING UP YOU TWO!"

They turned to Hiko's voice; he was standing on the outside of his office, locking the door.

"ALRIGHT…THANKS COACH. SEE YOU TOMORROW!"

Sano and Megumi walked side by side quietly; he was carrying not only his bag, but hers as well.

"You want to grab something before you head home?" He asked without looking at her.

"Sure."

"I could use a smoothie or something…what about you?"

"Sounds good."

They stopped at a local sandwich shop; Megumi ordered a large peanut butter and banana smoothie. Sano ordered a smoothie, a chicken Caesar wrap, and a side of chips. She glared at him with a smile as she sipped on her drink.

"I thought you just wanted a smoothie?"

"Ungry." He stated with a mouthful.

She smiled. "Were you practicing?"

"No…just wanted to time myself."

"What for?"

He shrugged.

"Your form looked nice." She blushed as she spoke it.

Sano looked at her red cheeks and smiled. "Thanks Megumi…yours looks pretty good too."

"Oh please." She paused briefly. "It's a shame we don't have any classes together."

"Yeah."

"Do you have Kenshin in any of your classes?"

"Don't think so." He wiped his mouth. "Didn't see him until lunch."

"Oh."

"Guess the principal split up the gang." He laughed.

"I suppose." She watched him for a fraction. "Sano…are you alright?"

"I've been getting that all day."

"I know and I'm sorry…it's just…"

He held up his hand. "It's okay Megumi. I um….had a shocker yesterday is all."

"What about?"

He played with the folds of his napkin.

"You remember me telling you how my mom left when I was little?" She nodded. "Well, come to find out…she didn't leave…dad kicked her out."

She placed her cup down. "What…why?"

"She fell in love and got pregnant by another man."

"Oh my God Sano….I'm sorry."

"That's not the worst of it either. She's been trying to connect with me all this time, but dad forbade her to."

"Sano." She touched his hand. "Well, maybe you can reach out to her now." He started to shake his head before she finished. "Why not?"

"She…died last month." He said quietly. He tried to control his emotions.

Megumi tightened her grip on his hand.

"To think all this time he's been…" Sano couldn't finish the statement. He glanced down at his food and started playing with the wrappings; he could feel the sting of tears burning his eyes. He got to his feet and walked out.

"Sano?" Megumi rushed out as well, leaving their meal behind. "Sano?"

She found him leaning against a tall tree; she approached him slowly. As she neared him, she could hear the sound of his sobs; she touched him softly, his shakes becoming more violent. When he dropped to his knees, she joined him, wrapping her arms around his frame; he brought her closer to him, needing to feel her warmth.

**After he dropped her off, he returned home, but stayed outside; he stared at the house for a while. He looked to the drive and noticed his dad's car gone, but the bike was still there.

"He had to work."

Sano was surprised when Makoto emerged from behind a pillar; he was holding a bottle of beer in one hand.

"Asked if I could wait for you." He stated.

"What if I didn't come home?" Sano challenged.

Makoto shrugged.

Sano remained stationed on the sidewalk. "Look," Makoto stepped down. "I don't expect you to just forgive and forget…neither does your father, but…"

They were face to face now.

"I know I'm a stranger to you, but the offer still stands. I can't image how hard it's gonna be living here with him knowing what he did, but he is your father and he's sorry."

"You're taking his side…after what he did to…our mother?"

"No I'm not. I just know how regretful he is."

"Yeah, regretful. Only after she…" Sano turned away. "If she were still alive he would have kept on lying to me; all this time…he kept her from me. He knew how much I missed her, yet…hated her."

"Sano." Makoto placed his hand onto his shoulder; he was glad when he didn't shrug it away. "I'm sorry."

"I…don't know what to do." Sano whispered.

"Why don't you give him a chance?" He said softly, but Sano didn't respond. "I need to go…here." He handed him the bottle. "Can't ride with that."

Sano glanced up and saw his smile; it reminded him of his mother's.

Makoto climbed on the back of his bike; he retrieved his helmet, which was hanging off the handle. He fiddled with the strap briefly.

"I'm leaving town after the service so….let me know then okay? I left my contact information in the kitchen for you."

Sano watched as he placed his helmet on, securing it under his chin; he slowly backed out of the drive. He stared at Sano for a while before revving the engines; Sano watched as his cheeks grew fatter behind the helmet, signaling Makoto was smiling. He placed the bike in gear and disappeared down the street.

Later that evening, Sano was sitting out on the porch when his dad pulled into the drive. His stomach started twisting when the engine was shut off, but his dad remained in the car; after a while, Hirata exited the jeep, closing the door gently.

He made his way over.

"Hey." Hirata spoke softly. "Glad you're home."

"Makoto left."

"Okay." He watched him. "Did you have dinner?"

"I grabbed something with Megumi."

Hirata approached his son and sat beside him, thankful he didn't move away.

"How is she?"

"Fine."

"She's still thinking about becoming a doctor?"

"I think so yeah."

"She's smart, I'm sure she'll get there." Hirata looked at him. "She's good for you."

Sano made to look at him, but couldn't.

"Well, I'm beat. Guess I'll hit the showers then head off to bed." He clapped his hands on his knees, all the while still staring at Sano. "Okay."

Hirata got to his feet.

"Dad?"

He said it so low Hirata wasn't sure he said anything at all; he returned to his position.

"If…you're not too tired…do you…want to grab something…so…we could talk?"

Hirata stared at him with sadness.

"I'd like that son."

Sano nodded before getting to his feet; Hirata watched as he headed for the jeep, all the while keeping his head averted. Eventually, Hirata got up as well and returned to his car; he looked over the hood.

"Wanna drive?" He asked.

Sano looked at him, but quickly cut eye contact.

"Not really."

"Okay."

They got into the car, Sano nearly hugging his side of the door; Hirata put the car in gear and they drove off. The silence in the car was thick.


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The meat was caramelizing perfectly; she basted them one final time before closing the lid of the grill. The smoke was getting to her; she coughed several times before the lid was secure.

"I said I would do it sweetheart."

Tomoe, still coughing slightly, watched as her father placed the large cooler beside the picnic table.

"It's fine…._cough_…dad…_cough_, _cough_."

He approached her. "Baby are you alright?" He patted her back several times; she waved his hand away and smiled at him.

"I'm fine dad; basting with this sauce always makes me cough."

He approached the grill and lifted the lid, allowing more smoke to escape; Tomoe moved away slightly.

Yoritomo sniffed. "Is that your sweet and spicy mixture?"

"Yeah, used the last of it though; need to make some more."

He closed the lid. "Good thing we're doing this outside." He joined Tomoe who was now sitting at one of the tables.

"When is he coming?"

Tomoe glanced at her phone. "Should be another twenty minutes; had to finish some stuff at home."

Yoritomo looked away, lost in thought.

"I'm glad his mom is doing well; must be hard on him…especially being away from her."

Tomoe laid her face in her palm. "Yeah."

"It's gonna be rough with school and everything." He got to his feet and walked back into the house.

Tomoe watched him go; she didn't tell her parents that Kenshin decided to forgo school for the time being. She didn't think it was her place to mention it; besides, it was Kenshin's business. If he wanted to tell them for some reason then she'll let him. She stretched and returned to the grill; lifting the lid, she waved her hand around to see her meal clearly. The meat was the right shade so she started to extract them; as she did that, she heard the small whine of the patio door open.

"They're ready dad!" She called without turning.

"They smell great."

Surprised, Tomoe turned to the voice.

"Kiyosato?"

He was holding a large bowl in his hands; his face held a wide grin. He approached her.

"Thought I'd stop by." He held out his parcel. "Bought some slaw with daikon radishes…I know how much you like them." He placed it onto the table that was littered with the other food; taking her plate from the grill, she added it as well.

She faced him, rubbing her hands absently on her jeans.

"I didn't know you were coming…not that it's a problem." She added when she noticed the look on his face.

"My parents were going out so…I asked your dad if it was okay." He laughed nervously. "Enishi practically told me I was coming."

She laughed as well. "He could be a handful; it's nice of you to spend your free time with him."

"I don't mind. He's a cool little make believe brother."

She sat at the table, he joined. "Did he show you his new gaming system?"

"Yeah, I was just in there; I think your dad was requesting his presence, but he was so wrapped up in it."

"Mom said it was a mistake getting that for him; even if his grades did improve."

"We weren't really into that stuff when we were little huh?"

"Yeah, mostly played outside…it was fun."

"It was."

She crossed her legs. "Enishi still does that from time to time."

"I know. You know, maybe we could do that…go out somewhere; I know the pier has great things Enishi might like."

"That'll be nice. I'll ask dad; he's never taken Enishi…thought he wouldn't find it interesting."

"Never know until you try."

"True."

Kiyosato started rubbing the table top with his hands. "Maybe you and I could go."

"Take Enishi?"

It's not what he meant, but he nodded.

"That would be nice."

"Tomoe honey?" Sakura appeared from the house. "Oh hi Kiyosato…how are you?"

He faced her. "I'm fine Mrs. Yukishiro."

"What is it mom?"

"Kenshin's here."

Kiyosato returned his gaze to Tomoe; her face was lit up.

She stood, tugging on her jeans in the process. "Send him out."

"Enishi bombarded him when he arrived."

"Oh dear. Are they in his room now?"

"Yeah and I think you better get him; sounds like they were having fun."

Tomoe laughed as Sakura moved away. "Would you excuse me?"

Kiyosato got to his feet. "Sure." He watched her go; Yoritomo said a greeting as she passed him. When she was gone, Yoritomo turned his attention to Kiyosato; he was removing a bottle of water from the cooler.

"Hello son."

"Hello sir."

Yoritomo stepped down and walked over to the cooler himself; he withdrew a bottle of beer.

"How are things with you?"

"Fine sir." Kiyosato sat, playing with the wood grooves in the table; Yoritomo joined him.

"Hmm mmm. Something wrong?"

"Not really." He took a drink, keeping his eyes on the wood.

Yoritiomo glanced toward the patio door and back to the young man.

"Must be hard huh?" Kiyosato looked up in confusion. "Carrying a torch for someone who doesn't notice you."

Kiyosato looked away quickly, attempting to hide his red cheeks.

"I know what you're going through."

"You….do?"

"Sure. Same thing happened with Tomoe's mom; she didn't like me."

Kiyosato found himself laughing. "Really?"

"Nope, thought I was a jerk." He leaned over. "And to be honest, I was…pure and simple."

"How did you two get together then?"

"Don't know. We were always friends you know…it just…sort of happened like that."

Kiyosato lowered his eyes. "Maybe the same will happen for us."

"The key Akira is not to let it consume you. If you spend all of your time thinking too much about it, life will pass you by; things work themselves out for the better. If it was meant to be…it will be."

Kiyosato's smile was crooked.

"I know that sounds like a cop out, but…it's the truth. You can never force someone to like you; do that and you may end up losing them."

The words echoed through his mind as Yoritomo got up and left; for a moment, his conversation with Kaoru stuck out in his mind. Would this be trying to force Tomoe to like him? He wanted it to happen gradually, but what if it didn't? Something told him he had to act, but then again…what if he lost her friendship because of it? He didn't know what to do.

After some time, he heard the low hum of voices emerging; Enishi's was one of them as he complained about not being able to play his game.

"You can play after dinner young man; right now, we're gonna eat."

Enishi spotted Kiyosato and rushed toward him. "Hey!" He jumped in the seat next to him.

"Kiyosato...this is Kenshin." Tomoe introduced.

The two boys shook hands. "Haven't seen you around school." Kenshin stated attempting to place the face.

"I don't think you would have noticed me." Kiyosato had a crooked smile. "I'm not into sports much."

"Oh."

"Shall we eat?" Sakura stated with a clap of her hands.

**The food was delicious. Kiyosato paid Tomoe the compliment as he got to his feet.

"Why do you have to leave?" She asked.

"Wanted to finish up a chapter, but thanks for inviting me." He posed the comment to everyone.

"You're always welcome here Kiyosato." Sakura stated as she hugged him.

"Of course you are."

"I'll walk you out." Tomoe got to her feet.

"You coming over tomorrow?" Enishi asked.

"Don't know yet…I'll call you."

"Okay."

As Tomoe and Kiyosato left, they could hear Enishi whining about wanting to return to his game; he even asked Kenshin if he wanted to play.

They emerged out front; the night was quiet and dark. There was a slight breeze in the air; as they walked, Kiyosato noted how the night seemed to favor Tomoe. He stopped.

"You don't have to walk me back."

"I don't mind."

"I know, but it'll leave you to walk home alone and I don't want that."

She laughed. "It's not that far."

"Hmm."

The truth was, he didn't want to be alone with her anymore; the urge to kiss her was overwhelming and it scared him.

"Kiyosato?" He faced her. "You look…kind of flushed…are you okay?"

He forced a smile and placed a hand onto his stomach. "Too much beef."

"Was the sauce too sweet?" Her voice held an edge of fear.

"No," he gripped her hands. "It was delicious…I just…made a pig of myself."

"Oh."

They stared at one another for a while; it was then he noticed he still held her hands. They were very soft.

He removed them, placing his hands into his pockets.

"Kenshin seems nice." He said softly.

"He is. I'm surprised you two haven't met; the school's not that big."

"When you run in different circles…it can be."

"I guess."

He was kind of bothered she wasn't affected by his touch.

"When I first started, Kenshin and I sort of…ran into one another. He and his friend Sano were playing football in the yard and he ran into me." She added when his face showed no reaction.

"Oh…were you hurt?"

"No, but my clothes got messed up pretty badly; it was raining all week so…the principal had to find me some other clothes."

"Ah, must have been embarrassing for you."

She shrugged. "It turned out alright."

"You two seem pretty close."

She looked away, her eyes taking on a dreamy quality to them. This made him jealous.

"We seem to…connect." She faced him. "Know what I mean?"

"But…you hardly know him." He made sure to laugh. She joined in.

"I know…weird huh?

"That doesn't scare you Tomoe?"

"What?"

"That you feel so connected to someone you hardly know; I mean, what if there are things in his past you wouldn't approve of…or even like?"

"I don't know…it hasn't come up."

"You guys haven't delved deeper into his past?"

"We're in high school…what kind of shady past could he have Kiyosato?" For some reason, her laugh felt forced.

"I don't know Tomoe…I'm just concerned about you."

"I know…"

"I mean, he seems nice and all, but still…you hardly know him."

She was curious about where this conversation was going; she knew Kiyosato had a crush on her and at one time she liked him too. But time replaced her romantic feelings for him a long time ago.

"If I've upset you…" He started.

"No, it's fine. You're right…we hardly know one another, but…I can't explain the way things worked out for us. I'm happy with him and he appears to be happy with me."

He stared at her face; he knew he crossed a line and made her angry.

"Just be careful okay Tomoe. You're my best friend…I just want to see you happy."

She finally smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you."

"Well…good night."

She watched him go for a while; when he finally disappeared she started back to the house. She was surprised to find Kenshin standing on the steps.

"I was getting ready to come look for you…we were worried."

"Afraid I was kidnapped?" She teased. As she approached, he climbed down the steps.

"Maybe." He wrapped his arms around her. "Your friend didn't seem to like me."

As she drew closer to him, she could smell a scent she could not place; she liked it nonetheless.

"Just concerned about me."

"Hmm…should I be jealous?"

She looked up. "What for?"

"You grew up with him."

"So?" She pulled back.

His smile appeared nervous. "I can't compete with connections like that."

"Kenshin…what are you talking about?"

"Nothing…I was joking." He held her hand, waving it back and forth.

They said nothing for a while; oddly, this bothered her.

"Dinner was good," he spoke quietly. "I liked the kabobs especially."

"Thanks."

"Your dad said you used some special sauce?" He guided her down next to him on the step.

"Yeah. Something I sometimes use in the restaurant too."

"You created it yourself?" She nodded. "Impressive."

"Not that impressive."

He didn't like how she sounded.

"Tomoe…you know I was only joking right?"

She looked at him. "I know." She said quietly.

"Then what's wrong…why are you so quiet suddenly?"

"It's nothing."

"Maybe you'll tell me some other time." He turned away, turning his attention to his fingers; she wrapped her hands around them, forcing him to face her once more.

"It's nothing…okay?"

"Yeah…sure." He got to his feet. "I need to head back; still have some things to take care of at home."

She stood as well. "Are you angry?"

"No Tomoe….I just…don't know why you won't tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong!" Her voice rose an octave. This made Kenshin draw back slightly.

She covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry." She lowered them, wrapping her arms around herself. "Sorry." She looked away.

He touched her arm, drawing her near. "Okay…okay." He wrapped his arms around her. "Don't get upset…I'm sorry." They stood there for a while; he kissed the top of her head.

He pulled back and looked at her downcast face; he brought her face up to his.

"I just don't want you to feel like you can't tell me anything; regardless of what's going on with me…I am still here to listen…okay?" She nodded.

"But I do need to head home sweetie."

"Do you need some help?"

"I doubt your parents would mind you coming over this late."

She laughed. "I mean over the weekend or something."

"Probably…when I get home."

Her eyes were wide. "Get home…where are you going?"

"Your dad offered me a job."

"What…he did?"

"Yeah."

"You mean, you told him…" Kenshin nodded. "Why?"

"He started asking about school and I didn't want to lie to him."

"What did he say…how did he react?"

"Pretty much the same way Principal Hajime did."

"Oh…wow. I didn't know he needed anyone."

"I don't think he does, but…I'm grateful to him."

"What will you be doing?"

"Pretty much anything. Busting tables, taking out the trash, cleaning the place."

"But Kenshin…that's…"

"I'm grateful to him Tomoe. He said I can work there until I find something better."

"Well, I hope he'll pay you decently."

"Me too." He kissed her forehead. "I still need to head home baby…are we good?"

"Huh…yeah…we're fine." She wrapped her arms around him once more. "Be safe getting home okay?"

"I will."

When the door opened, the two quickly broke apart; Yoritomo stood in the doorway chuckling.

"It's getting kind of late."

"Sorry dad, I'll be in soon."

He stepped onto the porch; he had a coat in his hands.

"I have to make a run to the store for your mother; Kenshin…I can drop you off if you want a lift."

Kenshin and Tomoe glanced at one another suspiciously.

"Suddenly the gracious host?" Tomoe stated with a playful sneer. "First you offer him a job and now you offer him a ride…hmmm…what are you up to?"

Yoritomo held his hands up. "All innocent I swear."

"Hmmm." Tomoe was not convinced.

"Come along if you don't believe me, but….you'll be leaving your mother with all that stuff to clean up."

"He's good at the guilt trips." She whispered to Kenshin before giving him a kiss to the cheek. "Have a good night."

"Thank you…you too."

"So…is that a yes?" Yoritomo asked as he threw on his coat.

**Kenshin glanced out the window as the trees rode past.

"I really appreciate this Mr. Yukishiro."

"Not a problem; I was already heading out anyway."

"No, I mean the job…thanks."

"I know you didn't want to take a break from school Kenshin; it was very grown up what you did." He glanced at him. "I'm proud of you."

Embarrassed, Kenshin looked away.

"Thank you sir." He said quietly.

"My father did the same thing. He had to quit school in order to help out his family; he did it without complaint too." Kenshin watched him. "He told me it was his duty as the eldest son to take care of his family; he didn't regret it either. It took a while, but he managed to graduate; you'll do the same I'm sure."

Kenshin was speechless.

"It's good that my uncle accepts it too." Kenshin jumped slightly. "Oh damn I forgot; he's coming down this weekend to help me get things in order."

"Not a problem…you can work half a day." Yoritomo stated without thought.

"But it's not fair to you…"

"Kenshin…it's fine." Yoritomo smiled at him. "Really…it's fine. Get things situated with your uncle; you can even bring him around, show him the place."

"Mr. Yukishiro." Curious about his tone, Yoritomo stopped the car and faced the young man; he could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "You're not used to this are you?" Kenshin faced him. "Allowing people to do for you?"

Kenshin wiped his eyes. "Guess not."

"You'll get over it."

Kenshin found him smiling broadly.

"You'll learn my boy that the people you love are going to give to you whether you like it or not; I'm sure Tomoe has already done that."

"Yeah." He said with a dreamy tone. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Yoritomo smiled as he put the car in gear.

"You see…the people who love you always want to see a smile on your face; I'm sure your mother has already done that for you…is still doing that. Regardless of the scar she gave you."

Kenshin touched it absently.

"Just learn to accept it graciously and happily knowing you have that kind of support system by your side."

"Thanks sir."

"And enough of the sir…you can call me Yoritomo if you like."

"Maybe just Mr. Yukishiro…out of respect."

"Sure…whatever you want."

They finally pulled to the side of Kenshin's house; he thanked him once more before he exited. As Kenshin stood to the door, he watched the taillights disappear down the lane, feeling better about his situation.


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sano stared at the announcement, tracing the outline of his mother's face with his finger; she had a heart shaped face with wide eyes. Her long dark hair was always worn down her back; something he found himself playing in. She had thin fingers and a tiny waist; the one thing he always remembered was her smile – it always made his heart jump.

He was sitting at a desk in his room. In front was a small open window; he could hear the sound of Makoto speaking to someone over the phone. He wasn't trying to listen, but he heard words like _half-brother…our mother_. He still didn't believe it.

All this time he thought his mother never cared about him anymore…never wanted him, but she did; why would his father do such a thing? The night he and his father went out was unsuccessful; Sano found he couldn't look at him. They sat in a restaurant listening to the silence; eventually, they called it a night and headed home.

He placed the sheet flat on the desk and covered his eyes; he started to breathe heavily, trying to control the pain welling up inside. After some time, his phone rung.

"Hey." His voice was flat.

"I…wanted to see if you changed your mind." Megumi spoke with concern.

"I appreciate the offer, but no…I just want to be by myself."

"But Sano, at a time like this, you need your friends."

He laughed sarcastically as he held the paper once more.

"Funny you should mention that."

"What do you mean?"

"Spoken to Kenshin lately?"

"Not really…why?"

"Now we have another thing in common."

Megumi was silent.

"I tried calling him this entire week…always busy. It's almost like since he started going out with Tomoe, all he does is spend time with her."

"You know that's not true." She said quietly. "He's been trying to deal with his mother's condition; not to mention he's been working nonstop at the restaurant."

"Right."

"But you're right. Even though it seems like he doesn't have time for us, he has time for her."

"You sound like Kaoru."

"So do you."

Their conversation halted briefly.

"I don't begrudge him his happiness with Tomoe…she's a nice girl."

"I understand. It's like he's forgotten us or something."

"I don't know him anymore." Sano realized his sadness was adding up. "We used to be close; we don't even hang out anymore. I haven't seen him at school either."

"He dropped out Sano."

Shocked replaced the pain; he sat up quickly.

"What…when?"

"I think his last day was when you saw him at lunch."

"But…he just got back? Do you know why?"

"I think it had something to do with is mom."

"Is her condition worse?"

"I don't know Sano; he's very quiet about it."

"What about Tomoe…does she know anything else?"

"I've asked her, but she says the same thing. Anything else, she suggest I ask Kenshin."

Sano ran a hand through his hair. "Damn, I didn't know that."

"I suppose he didn't have time to go into details about it…or he didn't want to."

"That's really fucked up." He stared at his mother's picture.

A soft knock sounded on the door followed by a slow creek.

"Sano…we're getting ready to go." Hirata spoke softly.

"Yeah okay." He remained quiet until he heard the soft click of the door. "I better go."

"Alright…I'll make my plea one final time Sano."

"No…I'm not ready to explain anything right now."

"Okay…call if you need me."

"I will….bye."

"Bye."

Although he appreciated Megumi wanting to inform his friends, he didn't want to get into lengthy details about it; so far, she was the only person who knew the truth about his mom. He wanted to keep it that way….for now.

As he got to his feet, stuffing the pamphlet in his back pocket, his mind diverted to Kenshin; he couldn't believe he dropped out…why? Picking up his phone, he scrolled down to his name; the thought of calling him yet again overwhelmed him, but the sound of his name being summoned stopped him. Instead, he sent a quick text: _Just checking on you._

As he exited his room, he was surprised when his phone chimed; he glanced at the screen and saw a response from Kenshin – he opened it:

_Sorry for not being available….too much stuff going on. Will call later._

_Yeah…me too_

Was his reply before shutting it off completely.

**Sano made his way down the stairs mechanically; running his hand along the banister, his mind touched on a memory of his mother. It was interrupted by the sound of Hirata's booming voice in a nearby room; he glanced in that general direction, but didn't stop. When he got outside, he found Makoto leaning against a dark blue car; he was glancing at his phone.

"Where's the bike?" Sano asked suddenly.

Makoto looked up and smiled. "Too much noise."

"You traded it in?"

Makoto laughed. "Not on your life…car belongs to my fiancée…she's got the bike."

"Oh…is she coming?"

"No, wanted to give us some private time."

Sano nodded. "She rides too?"

Makoto pocked his phone and crossed his arms. "It's how we met. I was showing some pieces at a show when…"

"Pieces…you sell bikes?"

"I work on restoration of vintage cars and bikes."

Sano was impressed. "Really?" Makoto nodded. "Wow. How did you get into that?"

He relaxed his hands, placing them flat on the hood. "My dad actually…he's a collector. Right now he has a 1937 Ford Cabriolet he's restoring to mint condition."

"Wow." He said again, causing Makoto smile.

"I suppose this makes me cool now?"

Sano placed a hand in his hair. "Uh…"

"Joking."

"Right." He released his hand and looked away.

Makoto watched him sadly. "Any of your friends coming?"

"No."

"You got a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, but she's not coming either."

"Why not? Sano, you need…"

"I just don't want them there alright?"

Makoto held up his hands. "Sorry." He glanced to the house. "I wonder what's keeping your dad."

"I think he was on the phone."

Just then, Hirata emerged from the house, phone still in his ear. Makoto took notice how Sano watched him; his eyes drawn close together.

"You can ride with me if you want." He offered.

"Yeah…thanks."

Hirata watched with a heavy heart as Sano got into Makoto's car; locking up, he hung up the phone and silently walked over to his jeep. Makoto was the first out of the drive, but he waited in the street; as the jeep pulled out, Makoto tried to make conversation with Sano, but he stuffed his ears with earplugs. Makoto heard the blast of music emitting from them.

**Kenji drove with his attention both on the road and on a small sheet of paper sitting in his lap; he didn't have enough money for a GPS system, so he stuck with the old fashioned method.

"Where the hell is this place?" He asked the silence.

He was about to stop the car and call Kenshin when he passed a street lined with shops; as he slowly drove past, he craned his neck down what he assumed must be main street.

"Is that it?" He asked as he stopped, causing the people behind him to hook viciously. "Alright…shit." He drove on until he reached a gas station; there, he parked and removed his phone. After several rings, Kenshin finally picked up.

"Yukishiro…how may I help you?"

"May I speak with Kenshin Himura?"

"Uncle Kenji…where are you?"

"I'm at a gas station…somewhere down from what I think is Main Street. I see a lot of small shops lining the street."

"We're in there."

"Oh, these streets are terrible."

"You can probably walk from there; parking is kind of troublesome….wait hold on."

Kenji listened as muffled voices floated over the line.

"Uncle?"

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Yukishiro said you can park behind the restaurant; just come down main street and he'll flag you down."

"Great…let me gas up and I'll be right there."

Kenji spotted who he thought was Yoritomo Yukishiro the moment he entered the lined street; he was wearing a crisp, white apron and what appeared to be bright pink clogs on his feet. His graying hair was cut low and he appeared sort of beefy; his smile was large as his arm frantically waved high. Several passersby and people sitting outside smiled at him.

Kenji slowed to a crawl, pulling onto the curb; Yoritomo leaned his head in.

"Mr. Hayashi?"

"Mr. Yukishiro…nice to finally meet you." He stretched out his arm and shook hands. "This is a nice location."

"Thanks. Why don't you go on and park and I'll set you up with some lunch…hope you haven't eaten yet."

Yoritomo stood up, guiding Kenji toward the back of the restaurant; Kenji was surprised to find it clean. He parked next to a large white van with the restaurants' name stenciled in gold lettering; Kenshin met him outside. They embraced.

"Glad you could make it." Kenshin pulled back. "Sorry if my directions weren't clear."

They entered the restaurant. "It wasn't that…I've just never been to this part of town."

Kenji was led into a sparse kitchen; several people were moving around frantically, while others prepared food. Kenshin maneuvered him away from the crowd.

"Lunch time is usually the busiest…come on."

Kenshin led him into a small office; sitting at a desk was a thin woman with jet back hair. She was sitting sideways at a large desk; her crossed legs were sticking out. There was a phone stuck to her ear and she was writing something.

"That's Mrs. Yukishiro." Kenshin whispered as he pulled him away from the woman; Kenji heard a booming voice erupt from somewhere. Yoritomo's form emerged from an enclosed area, carrying a slice of beef.

"Kenshin, show Mr. Hayashi a seat and I'll have a meal for him."

"That's not necessary Mr…"

"Nonsense." He threw the side of beef onto a slap of cold marble. "Now go…I must work in peace."

"He must be making you the house special; that's his best cut." Kenshin stated happily as he led his confused uncle into the dining room.

"It's pretty full…do you mind sitting at the bar?"

"No problem." Kenji scooted onto the seat as Kenshin produced a pencil and small notepad. "Want do you want to drink?"

Kenji glanced around the restaurant, loving the atmosphere. "Uh…just some tea would be good."

Kenshin smiled. "What kind…we have about 20."

Kenji stared at him. "What…twenty?"

Kenshin produced a long, thin menu on parchment.

"Tomoe thought of this…putting it on parchment."

Kenji accepted the delicate paper and looked it over. "Nice…it adds a sort of old world feel to it."

"That was her intention."

Kenji noted the pride in his voice.

"You can look it over or I could suggest one for you." Kenshin offered.

Kenji handed the parchment back. "Surprise me."

"Sure thing. I'll bring out some dumplings too."

While Kenshin was gone, Kenji took that time to admire the quaint restaurant; it wasn't a large place, but it was big enough to house a good number of people. The rush of the lunch crowd spread outside, to the small array of tables; there was a young girl and boy taking orders from those choosing take out.

The walls were littered with mixtures of Japanese culture from the Edo, Heian, and other periods; he noticed a large depiction of a long haired samurai dressed in a simple kimono. His sword hung loosely at his side and his figure was slumped; around his neck was a scarf that contrasted with his profession. To Kenji, he appeared sad.

"That's one of Tomoe's favorites."

Kenji was surprised to find Kenshin standing before him; in front of him was a small tea pot.

"Is it someone famous?" Kenji asked.

"No. She found it at a craft show; no one wanted it because it looked sad, but she said…" He laughed.

"What?"

"She said it reminded her of me."

Kenji glanced at the portrait once more. "I don't know." He returned his eyes to his nephew.

"Maybe…if you were a samurai in that era." Kenji smiled.

"Right…me a samurai. What a laugh."

"So…what did you bring me…smells nice."

"Genmaicha tea…brown rice tea. Originally popular among the poor." He began to pour.

Kenji watched with fascination; the tea was a lovely shade of gold.

"This sounds like another Tomoe idea."

"No, it was her mother. Anyway, there's a nice story behind it…want to hear it?"

"Is this part of the service?"

"No…I just think it's cool."

Kenji took up the small saucer and sipped; his face showed satisfaction.

"Hope I can remember it." Kenshin glanced upward briefly.

"Maybe you should use cheat sheets."

"Whatever. Anyway, the legend goes that a clumsy slave dropped rice into his Samurai master's tea while it was brewing; the warrior was so angry that with a quick flash of his samurai sword, he removed the slave's head."

Kenji looked up with a disgusted look. "You don't tell this when people are eating do you?"

"Let me finish Uncle. Only after the samurai did this, did he take up the tea. The taste impressed him so much that he renamed the tea Genmaicha in honor of the slave he slain."_ (Link for tea below)_

"Wow…what a way to apologize."

They laughed.

"I thought it was a cool legend." Kenshin added.

"Mr. Yukishiro went around gathering this information?"

"Yeah. There are stories behind all the teas they have; thought it would make the place more interesting. You can read them on their website too."

He watched Kenshin's face as it lit up; he was glad he found a place he liked so much.

"Here we go!"

Yoritomo placed a medium bowl in front of him.

"Wanted to start you off with our house special…Gyudon…at least our version."

Gyudon is usually a bowl of rice topped with thinly sliced steamed beef. Yoritomo decided to cut the meat into larger chunks, using Tomoe's special sauce as a marinade; he then grilled the beef until it caramelized. Just when the rice was just ready, he added both the beef and marinade to the rice, allowing everything to harmonize.

Kenji's mouth watered as he stared at the arrangement; the aroma was creating a stir inside.

"Excuse me, can I change my order?" Someone asked.

"Can I order that too….it looks yummy."

"I'll leave you to it." Yoritomo departed.

When Kenji took his first bite, he was overcome by how delicious it was; he waved Kenshin away when asked whether he liked it or not.

LINK: _( benefits-of-genmaicha-tea)_


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kiyosato watched as the waves crashed against the pillars; the wind was fierce on this part of the pier, but he was the only who seemed to mind. He turned his head a fraction and watched as Tomoe's hair whipped around her face; Enishi was standing beside her, throwing bread at the passing seagulls.

Her laughter danced in his heart each time he heard it. He turned away.

"Kiyosato?"

He faced her; she was holding a portion of her hair away from her face, but it appeared to be winning.

"The wind's picking up…should we go inside?"

"No, I want to finish feeding the birds." Enishi held up his bag of bread. "I'm not done yet."

"It's too windy Enishi." She stated as another gust almost blew her over.

"We can sit over there." Kiyosato pointed to a lookout area situated indoors; there was a large glass window facing the pier. "We'll be able to keep an eye on Enishi."

"Alright…you stay right here okay Enishi?"

"Sure." He responded without looking at her; he continued to throw bread at the birds.

Tomoe was glad to get out of the wind.

"See…we'll be able to keep an eye on him." He stated as he joined her.

Tomoe pulled her hair back – Kiyosato watched. She extracted a pink band and tied it around her hair; when the ponytail was secure, she brought it around her shoulder, laying it against her chest.

"This is nice." She said, continuing to gaze at the pier.

"Yeah…nice." His voice took on a dreamy quality as he continued to watch her; she was playing with the ends of her hair.

"I wonder if Kenshin's ever been out here."

His name broke Kiyosato's gaze. "He must have lived here for quite a while…I'm sure he has." He chanced a look in her direction. "He's never brought you?"

"We haven't had much time for dates…with everything going on."

"Oh…must be hard."

She shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything. We talk on the phone and he comes over every once in a while."

"But now that he's working…he must be pretty busy." When she faced him he turned away. "I mean…people in relationships should spend time together."

"True, but…why get bent out of shape about it?" She returned her gaze to the pier and Enishi; he was now trying to catch one of the birds. "When things calm down."

She left the sentence hanging, but was still curious about something.

"Kiyosato…why are you so interested in my relationship with Kenshin?"

Her quiet tone held accusation as well; Kiyosato refrained from looking in her direction.

"I'm not."

"That's not what it seems like to me."

He began to tap the tips of his fingers together.

"I…just want to make sure you're happy." He stated.

"That's what you said, but…I don't get that." She faced him. "It's like you're trying to…I don't know…taint my feelings to him or something."

He chuckled nervously before getting to his feet. "Taint it…why would I do that?"

She followed. "I don't know…you tell me….Kiyosato?" She placed her hand on his arm, forcing him to look at her. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to enjoy myself at the pier."

"I get enough of this crap from Kaoru…why from you now?"

"Kaoru?" He asked with forced innocence.

"Kenshin's ex-girlfriend." She turned from him. "She's got some…vendetta against me or something…just because Kenshin chose me."

"Maybe she feels Kenshin lied to her." He said quietly; he could feel Tomoe's eyes on him. He swallowed.

"Do you know her?"

"ENISHI…GET DOWN!" Kiyosato screamed as he made his way onto the pier. "ENISHI?"

Enishi was climbing on the railing, attempting to catch more birds.

"Stop Kiyosato!" Tomoe gripped his arm aggressively and stood in front of him. "Have you been talking to Kaoru? Is that why you've been saying these things?"

"No Tomoe…Enishi? I just thought…Enishi?"

Tomoe turned, finally noticing her little brother's antics.

"ENISHI GET DOWN!"

Enishi continued to reach out his hand; Tomoe started in that direction, but Kiyosato grabbed her arm attempting to mend their conversation.

"Tomoe….I."

"TOMOE!"

"ENISHI!"

Both Tomoe and Kiyosato watched as Enishi slipped from the railing.

"NO…ENISHI!" Tomoe leaned over and saw her brother lying motionless in the sand below; Kiyosato jumped the railing, landing in the sand quickly.

He rushed over to Enishi's form. Tomoe watched frantically as Kiyosato placed his head onto her brother; several other people jumped down as well.

"HE'S NOT BREATHING!" Someone screamed.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE!"

Tomoe collapsed.

**He felt numb. He watched silently as her vase was gently inserted into the large encasement of the mausoleum; once it was safely secure, the attendants held it open. Their eyes were glued on him.

Someone touched his back, but instead of acknowledging them, he slowly made his way over and laid his single rose next to her vase. He stared at it before moving away.

"Sano?" Hirata called softly, but he just continued walking.

He wasn't counting, but it was a while before someone appeared by his side; thankfully, it was Makoto.

Sano was leaning against his car; Makoto mimicked his stance.

"Are you leaving right after?" Sano asked.

"Hirata asked that I come back to the house; his sister made food for everyone."

Sano watched his dad; he was facing the mausoleum, his form appearing sad.

"Why does he act like he cares?" Sano stated.

"He still loved her."

"Yeah right." He stood straight. "Loved her so much he kept her away from me."

Makoto had no words to comfort him; this was a hard situation and he didn't know how to heal it.

"I may not go." Sano stated suddenly. "To the house."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know…just walk around…think. Maybe to Megumi's."

"That's your girl's name?" Sano nodded. "Nice name."

"Thanks."

"What about your other family members? They may want to see you."

"I just…don't want to pretend Makoto. I can't…not right now."

Makoto watched his form. "I can understand." He said quietly. "I can take you whereever you want to go."

"What does it matter?" Sano suddenly faced him. "Knowing me? Is it really because I'm your half-brother? We hardly have anything in common."

"Where did this come from?"

"I just want to know."

"I told you already. You're a part of her and I wanted to get to know my little brother."

"Then how come you never called me? Why do you show up now?"

Makoto lowered his eyes. "Mom asked me not to."

Sano was growing both sad and angry once more.

"When she first told me about you, I continued to ask questions. Eventually, she told me a bit about you, but…since you were still small she didn't have much to go on. When I got older, I took it upon myself to seek you out."

Sano was stunned. "What?"

"I found out which school you went to and I told her."

"Why?"

"She missed you. We were both equally important to her Sano; she loved us both." Sano looked away, but Makoto continued. "When she found out what little she could about you, she made it her business to be a part of your life." He laughed.

"What?"

"When she found out you were on the football team, she thought it was her big chance…to finally see you after all this time. She was growing sicker by then, but…she wanted to see you; the crowds made it possible."

"She…she came to my games?"

"Yeah. Cheered for you, even when you fumbled."

Sano looked away.

"I…told her I could go up to you…give you a note or something. She didn't know if Hirata was around, but…she didn't want to risk exposing me to his anger. She went home happy, yet sad. As she grew sicker, she made me promise to look out for you…to be your big brother; its' something she always wanted for you….for us."

"Makoto…I."

Makoto approached him. "I know I'm still a stranger to you Sano, but please…you have to understand. When I found out about you, I was so excited because I finally had a brother; mom never had anymore children because of the sickness so it was only me."

Makoto moved in front of him.

"All I'm asking is a chance."

Sano was confused.

"I don't blame you Makoto…for any of this. You were much a victim as I was, but…"

"But?"

"It's hard to accept what you're saying…about her. That she had a chance to see me, but didn't…I don't understand why."

"I told you…"

"But she could have found a way." He was looking desperately at him now. "If you want something bad enough, you do everything you can to get it; she could have done the same thing…why didn't she?"

Makoto opened his mouth, but no words emerged.

"I can answer that Sano."

They turned to the voice; Hirata, his face downcast, approached them.

"I made it impossible for her to contact you…in any fashion."

"What did you do?" Makoto whispered angrily.

"The last time she called…I told her how you felt about her."

Sano's eyes filled with tears; his inside burning from anger.

"I told her," he continued. "You didn't care about her anymore…that you hated her. I threw in some other hurtful…"

But Hirata never got a chance to finish his statement; Sano threw his arm out, punching his father squarely in the jaw. This sent Hirata to the ground, spraining his wrist in the process.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?" Makoto tried to hold Sano back. "HOW COULD YOU KEEP HER FROM ME…YOU SELFISH BASTARD."

Hirata sat up, cradling his wrist, but never glanced at his son.

"I WISH IT WAS YOU…I WISH IT WAS YOU IN THAT VASE…NOT HER!"

"You don't mean that." Makoto whispered, but Sano pushed Makoto away and ran off.

**Kenji was sitting in the lounge; he had a cup of strong coffee in his hands, but wasn't drinking it. When the call came into the restaurant about Enishi, Kenshin flew out first followed by Sakura; Kenji offered to help Yoirtomo close up the place. When they arrived, Kenji thought it best to leave the family to their devices; he didn't want to intrude.

"Uncle?"

Kenji sat up. Kenshin was standing in the doorframe; Kenji got to his feet when he approached.

"How is he?"

Kenshin relaxed. "He's going to be fine."

"Oh thank goodness."

"Just a broken arm. When he fell he must have been knocked unconscious, but…he'll recover."

"I'm glad. How's the family?"

"Still in shock, but Enishi proved he's versatile; asking about ice cream."

The two laughed.

"Tomoe?" Kenji asked.

"Still a bit shook up."

"Understandable."

Kenshin ran a hand through his hair, tugging on his ponytail in the process; he found a seat and took it. His hands were still holding his hair. Kenji sat beside him.

"Damn…what a day." Kenshin said, clearly exhausted.

"You're telling me." He placed his forgotten coffee on a table.

"Aside from that, did you enjoy your meal?" Kenshin asked.

"It was delicious."

"Good."

Kenji rubbed his hands together.

"I'm good with bad timing Kenshin."

Kenshin looked at him with confusion. "What?"

"The paperwork for the house?"

"Oh." Kenshin sat back.

"I know you're concerned about…"

"No…like I said…he'll be fine. Uh…let me just tell them I'm leaving."

"I'll wait for you outside."

When Kenshin began his journey back to Enishi's room, he ran into Kiyosato.

"Hey Kiyosato…some scare huh?"

"I'll say. Enishi was always so athletic."

"I suppose; well, I wanted to…"

"Kenshin, would it be alright if I…talked to you?"

"Could it wait? I'm in a hurry."

"Not really."

Kenshin was surprised by the look on his face.

"Okay…what is it?" His curiosity was piqued.

"What's your deal with Tomoe?"

One of Kenshin's brows lifted. "Huh?"

"Your feelings…intentions…what are they toward her?"

"What is this a soap opera? Why are you asking me this?"

"It's a fair question."

"Did you ask her?"

"Yes."

"And what did she tell you?"

"The same thing I'm sure you'll say to me."

"That I love her?" Kiyosato continued to stare at him. "Are you carrying a torch for her or something?"

Kiyosato shifted. "You two don't even know one another."

Kenshin had a strange sense of déjà vu.

Kiyosato continued. "I just don't understand how you could…"

Kenshin held up his hands. "First off…you don't have to understand our relationship…it's none of your damn business. And second, your questions sound a little too familiar to me so I'll say to you what I said to that other person…I can't help the way I feel…things happen. I know Tomoe and I haven't known one another that long, but as clichéd as it sounds, love works differently for everyone."

Kiyosato folded his arms.

"I know you two grew up together and you probably had childhood crushes, but it's obvious you're the only one still carrying it; granted, I can understand…Tomoe is wonderful. But…we're together now and I love her…with everything inside of me; it doesn't matter if we met last year or last month…nothing will change how I feel about her. I am committed to her…completely."

Kenshin turned and stalked off.

**Kenshin was fuming as he made his way down the hall; when he was near the room, he slowed both his breathing and pace. What the hell is wrong with people? He figured Kaoru planted her claws into Kiyosato, filling his head with ideas. He didn't need this.

His pace slowed. Planting his hands in his pants pockets, he lowered his head; he bumped into Tomoe.

"Oh…sorry." She said with laughter. He joined. "You should look where you're going."

"Sorry babe…thinking."

She held his hand and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for being here."

"I'll always be here for you."

"You should try being there for Sano." He watched her. "Megumi texted me a few minutes ago." Her face grew sad. "Did you know he buried his mother today?"

More shock hit Kenshin like a ton of bricks.

"What?"

"I take it that's a no?"

"I didn't…why didn't he tell me?" He took out his phone; he stared at the last message Sano sent.

"I think he may have tried to tell me." He looked up. "That day you quit school? He wanted to talk about something, but…"

"And I brushed it off…shit!" He scrolled through until he found Sano's name; he pressed the 'call' button.

"He's not picking up…goes straight to voicemail."

Kenshin lowered the phone, feeling ashamed of himself.

"Damn. How could I be so insensitive?"

"I'm not trying to make excuses for you, but…you had a lot on your plate too."

"Still. When was the last time Megumi spoke to him?"

"This morning I think. She wanted to go with him, but he asked her not to; he also asked her not to tell us, but…she decided not to listen this time."

"Why wouldn't he tell us though?"

But he knew the answer; he was so preoccupied with his problems that he forgot about his friends.

"I have to…" He began.

"Go." Tomoe smiled. "I'll tell my dad you had to go."

Kenshin held her. "Thanks…you're the best."

"Give Sano my love okay?"

"I will."

She watched him race away. Kenshin found his uncle sitting on the hospital steps; when he noticed his stance, Kenji approached with concern. Kenshin told him what he needed to; Kenji, understanding, said he would be at the house waiting until Kenshin returned.


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Kenshin found him by accident…on the practice field at school. He was sitting high on the bleachers, his head low; Kenshin's heart broke at the sight. He crossed the field slowly, never taking his eyes off his friend; he figured Sano must have sensed he wasn't alone because he looked up. When he spotted Kenshin, he got to his feet and proceeded down; Kenshin stopped just below the bleachers as Sano approached.

When Sano reached the final step, he could see the pain in Kenshin's eyes.

"Who was it?" Was his only question.

"Megumi told Tomoe."

"And since you were with her…she relayed the message." His tone was nasty, but Kenshin understood.

Sano stepped down, but didn't stop. "Why are you here?"

"To apologize."

Sano stopped, his hands in his pockets.

"Too late for that." His back remained on Kenshin.

"There's no excuse for what I did Sano; I am so sorry."

"But you were there for Tomoe." He faced him. "Weren't you? You're always there for her."

Kenshin lowered his head. "I don't know what to say Sano."

"There's nothing to say."

Kenshin glanced up, noticing Sano was dressed in a white shirt and dark pants; he must have been wearing a tie because his top collar was open at the nape. In his hand, once removed from his pocket, held a long, thin piece of fabric.

"When did she pass away?" Kenshin finally asked.

Sano watched the tie as it swayed in the breeze. "Maybe a month ago…not sure exactly."

"How…did you find out?"

"Her son told me."

"Her…son?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know you had a brother?"

"Half-brother…according to the latest news report." Sano sat in the grass, crossing his legs Indian style. Kenshin mimicked his stance.

"You…want to talk about it?" Kenshin asked quietly.

"Talked enough about it." He paused briefly, but then started re-telling the tale; Kenshin listened intently, all the while moving an inch closer to his friend. By the time Sano was done, Kenshin was sitting beside him; both were pulling blades of grass.

"Have you made up your mind?" Kenshin asked when Sano paused.

"Yeah."

"Have you told him?"

"Not yet. I haven't been home yet and…" He took out his phone. "Didn't want to call him." He replaced it. "Probably with his fiancée."

They were quiet; Kenshin noticed the sky turning purple.

"It's getting dark." He stated.

"You uh….you're going to return to school right? I mean…"

"Yeah, that's my main goal. I just need to settle things with the house."

"But I don't understand how you can; unless Mr. Yukishiro is paying you more than minimum wage. If that's the case hire me too."

Kenshin was glad they were both laughing.

"No, my uncle is here…we're gonna go over the paperwork together to work something out."

"Do you think it'll work out?"

"To be honest…no. My uncle can't make the payments on his own; we have no other family and the job at the restaurant isn't enough. I may lose it Sano."

"I'm sorry."

"Tomoe said it's just wood and bricks, but…"

"She's right." Kenshin stared at him. "You can't hold onto inanimate objects; I understand it's your home, but…"

"I get you….Tomoe told me the same thing."

"She's a fountain of wisdom huh?"

At first Kenshin thought the comment was said nastily, but he watched the smile on Sano's face.

"What…does your mom say about it?"

"My uncle isn't going to burden her with it, but we both know she'll have to know; especially if we have to let it go."

Sano gently shoved Kenshin's shoulder.

"I'm rooting for ya."

Kenshin smiled. "Thanks friend."

"Yeah well, enough of the mushy stuff." They got to their feet. "I need to get home." At the mention of the word, Sano stopped.

"No one's asking you to rush." Kenshin began. "Things like that take time I'm sure."

"I know, but I do want to get to know Makoto. He's a cool guy." He paused. "Maybe things between my dad…"

"Don't think about it Sano…take it one day at a time."

"Yeah…you're right." He shoved Kenshin. "Hey, you're a fountain of wisdom yourself."

"Gee…thanks."

**As Kenji laid out the paper, Kenshin poured the hot water into a small tea pot; he was able to go back to the restaurant and get some of the tea his uncle liked. Yoritomo said it was fine.

Once the lid was secure, he brought it over on a tray and placed it some distance from the paper; Kenshin took a seat, unsure what he was looking at.

"So, I didn't know whether you would understand the bank mumbo jumbo so I just brought over the payment schedule they set up and the contract I signed." He handed the sheet over. "As you can see, the payments aren't exactly lower than the previous amount."

"They look worse."

"Interest payments and such."

"But…I thought they were working with you?"

"In their eyes, they are; said any other bank or company would have sold the place by now, but…given the state of things…meaning your mother…they thought this was better."

"How nice." Kenshin said with sarcasm. "This is over my head…I don't make that much in a month."

"I'm sure."

"How are you getting by?"

"I sent my wife and kids to stay with her brother."

"What?"

"I can live on less…they can't."

"Uncle Kenji…I"

"I'm trying to save as much as I can; it's difficult since work has been slow, but…I'm managing."

Kenshin glanced back at the payments. "This isn't right."

"It's what needs to be done."

"It's not. I mean…" Kenshin looked around the kitchen, seeing his family once again. "Is it worth saving?"

"Kenshin."

"Maybe we should talk to mom about this."

"How will that help?"

Kenshin once again centered his mind on a memory and then thought of his uncle. He couldn't do this.

"We need to talk to her…about selling the house." Kenshin stated.

"But I thought…"

"It's not worth it uncle. Sending your family away…you living off nothing….not to mention me. It'll take who knows how long before I could catch up to these payments and that's before they tack on more interest. No…it's not worth it."

"But I thought…"

"I don't want to lose the house uncle, but…I love you and I don't want to see you suffer."

"But…where will you live?"

"My coach offered me a place to stay at one point…I can ask again." He glanced at the papers.

"I can help you get a place Kenshin. The bank offered me a payment if I agreed to sell the house; if we bring this up to your mom I'm sure she'll allow you to have it as a down payment."

"I'd rather you have it."

"But…"

"And anyway, once I have the apartment how will I make the monthly payments? If I get another part-time job it won't be enough. Whatever the amount is, it won't last long."

Kenji placed a hand onto his nephew's forearm; Kenshin turned his gaze to him.

"Let's just take it one step at a time okay? We'll talk to your mother first…let her know what's going on and then…we'll think about a place for you. Right after you re-enroll in school of course."

Kenshin had to smile. "Of course."

**He wasn't in the mood to see anyone; after he returned home, he asked his sister to gently escort everyone out. She inquired about Sano, but he brushed her off; he went to his room and closed the door. He only emerged when he knew he was alone.

Hirata was wrapping his wrist when the bell chimed; cursing, he haphazardly tied off the wrap before emerging. The bell sounded once more.

"I'M COMING! Hold your damn horses." He whispered the final line to himself as he made his way down the stairs; at the door, he pulled back the curtain and found Makoto's blue car sitting in the drive. He didn't want to see him either, but once he started pounding on the door he knew he couldn't ignore it.

He opened it slowly.

Makoto was leaning on the frame. "So…that was a nice…episode." A portion of his mouth curved upward. "How's the jaw?"

Hirata turned, leaving the door open. "Like you care."

Makoto stepped in, closing the door in the process.

"You're right…I don't. Sano should have done far worse to you."

"Do think I don't know that?" Hirata planted himself on the bottom step; Makoto remained standing. "What I did…was unforgiveable."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" Makoto squatted.

"No. You came here to punch me too?"

Makoto smiled. "I wish." He returned to his full height. "I don't know why, but I thought Sano would be here."

Hirata smiled. "Oh I see…you were hoping to find my corpse?"

"Cut the crap old man; your son is beyond hurt…he's broken inside and I can't get in contact with him."

Hirata lifted his gaze; his eyes showed worry. "Have you tried…"

"Didn't you hear me…he's not picking up."

"Well, as you can see he's not here." He struggled to his feet.

"Don't you care?"

"OF COURSE I CARE! I love Sano." He maneuvered into the kitchen. "I knew I did a stupid thing once I hung up with her, but…she was going to take him away from me."

"Dammit man, you could have visited him." Makoto was beside him now. "You went too far. Did you think he would never find out?"

"I…wasn't thinking straight." He whispered as he took a seat.

Makoto watched his slumped figure; although he hated this man right now, he also felt sorry for him. He appeared truly regretful about what he started.

Hirata placed his uninjured hand in his hair.

"Would you…mind trying his phone again please?" He asked, his voice etched with pain.

Makoto sighed as he removed his phone; he scrolled through until he located Sano's number. After touching the right button, he pressed it to his ear expecting a mechanical voice; he was surprised when Sano picked up.

"Sano…hey man."

Hirata looked up anxiously.

"Where are you?" Makoto asked softly.

"I was with my friend Kenshin…we talked some."

"That's good...I was getting concerned."

"Sorry."

"Do you need a ride?"

"No…I'm almost home."

"Home huh?" He glanced at Hirata who began to knead his fingers.

"Yeah. I wanted to pack a few things…I need to get out of there."

"Sano."

"Could I stay with you for a while? I need to clear my head."

"Of course, but…"

"I won't be any trouble."

"It's not that." He paused, glancing at Hirata. "What about school? I don't stay in town remember?"

"Oh yeah…I forgot."

Makoto heard rejection.

"Listen, Sano…just come home and we can figure out what to do…alright?"

"Sure." Brief silence and then. "Is…he there?"

Makoto stared at Hirata's eyes. "Yeah."

At first, Makoto thought the phone went dead; the sound of the door slowly opening and closing caught his attention. Hirata stood to his feet anxiously – Makoto turned. Sano appeared around the corner, his clothes dirty and eyes downcast.

"Sano." Hirata whispered.

"I just…came to get some things. I don't want to stay here."

"Where are you going?" Makoto asked.

"I'll stay in a hotel or something…I don't really care."

Sano made a move to the stairs.

"Wait! Please." Hirata begged as he neared his son. "I…want to talk about…"

"There's nothing to talk about…nothing I want to say to you."

Sano slowly made his way up the stairs; Hirata continued to call his name, but Sano never stopped.

**He packed what he could. When he left his room, Hirata was standing across from him.

"Son…please." He begged as he tried to approach him once more; he made an attempt to hold him, but Sano backed away.

"Hirata…leave him alone." Makoto spoke from the bottom.

Hirata watched as Sano descended the stairs, walking out the door without a second glance.

"I'm gonna give him a lift then head back home."

"Whatever." Hirata waved a hand dismissively before entering his room.

When Makoto was outside, he didn't see Sano; moving to the curb, he noticed his outline walking down the lane. He rushed to him.

"SANO….SANO WAIT!" Sano stopped. "Let me give you a lift."

"That's okay…I can walk."

"Are there hotels in walking distance?"

"Not really. Thought I'd try a friend first…see how that goes." He partially faced him. "Why can't I stay with you?"

"I told you...you still have school."

He faced him. "But I can transfer. Please Makoto, I don't want to live with…him."

"Sano, listen."

"Oh I get it…you offer, but you're not really serious. Is that it? You lied to me too?"

"No! It makes no sense for you to transfer."

"It does if I decide never to come back."

"You don't mean that."

"How do you know?"

"Sano…he's still your father."

"Not after…"

"Yes…even after the shitty thing he did." He placed his hands onto his shoulders; Sano looked away. "Listen to me, people make mistakes all the time and this one was huge, but…"

"I can't believe you're defending him." He said softly, but it was filled with hate.

Makoto removed his hands and stared at him sadly.

"Forgiving someone who hurt you so badly is hard Sano…I know. Especially if that someone is a parent." Sano looked up. Makoto's eyes were lowered; Sano saw a deep sadness lingering there.

"But…I thought mom…"

"It wasn't her…it was my dad. He…didn't want to deal with two children; he was fine with just one. When she said she wanted to bring you home, he forbid it; said he wasn't going to raise another man's son. Mom was insistent though…said she loved you and wanted you with her, but…dad never budged."

"What…what happened?"

"What do you think?" He was looking at him; a spark of anger glinting in his eyes. "He left."

Sano was speechless.

"But…earlier."

"My dad came back Sano…regretful…begging for my forgiveness…and mom's."

"And you just forgave him?"

"Eventually….it took time."

"But he never lied to you."

"But he did hurt me. By leaving, putting his personal feelings before mine…a small child. He didn't know how that destroyed me. When he returned, mom was angry…furious even; called him several names." He actually smiled. He was glad Sano returned the gesture.

"When she gave him another chance, she left it up to me to make my choice regarding him. It took me almost a year before I could look at him again."

Sano turned away.

"Don't give up on him Sano…not yet. People can redeem themselves…atone for the wrongs they have done. They just need an incentive."

Makoto watched his back for a while.

"I'll take you whereever you want to go; I still would like for us to spend time together…get to know one another as brothers, but…let's make it over the summer."

"Sure…okay."

"Come on…where do you want to go?"


	11. Chapter 9

******Chapter 9**

"You know, I should start charging you rent."

He laughed.

"Or is it you can't get enough of me?" Principal Hajime's eyes glinted from amusement.

"I'd rather not answer the question." Kenshin stated with a smile.

"Where's your uncle?"

"He had to rush home sir, but he did give me the necessary paperwork." He handed the principal a few leafs of paper; the room was quiet as he looked through them.

Once done, he threw them on his desk; Kenshin became nervous.

"Why should I re-enroll you this time Himura? Do you like playing musical chairs with the school system?"

He noted Hajime's eyes; the amusement was no longer there.

"No sir." Kenshin said quietly.

"Not too long ago you left school for a month…that I understood. You returned only to say you're quitting…a stupid move on your part; and now you're back wanting to return. Why?"

"Sir, I want to continue my education."

"And how do I know something else won't come up? How do I know you won't return to my office requesting another leave of absence?"

"I…" He didn't know how to respond.

"You're working my patience young man."

"I'm sorry sir." Kenshin held his head down shamefully. "I can assure you…"

"Careful Himura." Kenshin looked up. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Hajime stared at Kenshin for a while; he reached inside his breast pocket and removed a pen. Pulling the papers closer to him, he started to sign each one.

"You still have to catch up if you want to graduate with your class; luckily for you, you didn't miss that much."

"Yes sir…thank you."

He signed the final document before sitting back. "The after school schedule I made for you is still available; that is…if you're staying this time?"

"Yes sir…I am."

"Alright. Since it's the middle of the week, I won't place you in any classes right now; you can start Monday if you want."

"I do sir."

"Good." He reached into a lower drawer and removed a sheet of paper; he handed it to Kenshin. "Although you won't officially begin until Monday, your after school class starts this weekend with Mr. Kogoro. Be here at nine sharp."

"Yes sir…thank you." He stood and bowed.

"You can go."

"Uh…would it be alright if I spoke with some of my friends?"

Hajime stared at him and sighed. "If you wish."

"Thank you sir." Kenshin quickly left the office before Hajime could change his mind.

**It was lunch time so Kenshin found the majority of his friends sitting near a cluster of trees; it was Sano who first noticed him.

"Well?"

"I start my afterschool classes this weekend so I can catch up, but my regular schedule starts Monday."

"Great!" Megumi chimed.

"Welcome back then…officially." Yahiko piped in.

He walked over to Tomoe, who remained quiet, but was smiling; he sat beside her.

"Aren't you happy?"

"Yeah, of course." She leaned in and kissed him softly.

"Will you still be working?" Yahiko asked.

"It's the best job I've had so far." He brought Tomoe closer to him. "Wouldn't quit it."

"Does this mean free food?" Yahiko piped in as he stuffed his face.

"Did you get free food before he worked there?" Sano asked as he chewed a blade of grass.

"I was just asking…geez."

"What about the house?" Megumi asked.

"My uncle and I are visiting my mom this weekend. Since I have that class, I'll have to leave right after. Tomoe, do you think your dad will understand I can't work this weekend?"

"Of course. He's not heartless." She smiled.

Kenshin returned the gesture. "Once she's up to date on everything, we'll make a decision then." Kenshin finished with sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry man." Sano stated.

"Yeah, me too." Yahiko added, still with food in his mouth.

"No big deal. At least I can stay with coach."

"That should be fun." Megumi piped in with a smile.

"At least you'll get excellent food." Yahiko added. "His wife cooks like a demon."

"So do I." Tomoe added.

"Of course you do." Kenshin drew her closer, nuzzling her neck in the process.

Once lunch was over, Kenshin walked Tomoe to her next class; on the way, Kenshin spotted Kaoru down the hall at her locker. She hadn't seen them yet.

Tomoe caught him staring at her. "If you want to talk to her go on."

He turned in her direction and noticed her smile.

"You…you don't mind?"

"Why would I mind?" She kissed his scarred cheek. "She's your friend Kenshin." She shoved him playfully, but he held onto her hand. "Go on…I don't want to be late." She stated as she started to pull away.

"I'll call you later." She nodded and then walked off.

Kenshin turned his attention back to Kaoru; she was staring at him by that time. He made his way slowly over, pushing his hands deep into his pockets.

"You…got a minute?" He asked once they were face to face.

"Won't she get mad?"

"_She_…has a name and you know it."

"Fine…won't _Tomoe_ get mad?"

"No."

She stared at the surety on his face.

"Do you have class now?" He asked.

"Not really."

He smiled. "What is not really?"

"It's an optional class."

"Like study hall or something?" She nodded. "Is that new?"

"I guess."

"Okay. I figured since you were standing out here you weren't going, so…."

"Why would you assume that?"

"Because the bell rung not too long ago and you're still here."

She almost smiled. "I didn't want to be rude; you were talking to me."

"Hmmm…thanks. Well?"

"I'll give you half an hour of my time."

"I'm honored." He held out his arm. "Shall we?"

She gazed at it briefly before taking it.

**They were sitting on the school steps; Kaoru had her books in her lap and Kenshin was playing with a blade of grass. His form was hunched over.

"How'd it go with Principal Hajime…you back?"

"I start Monday."

"For good?"

He turned to her with a smile. "For good."

"Good. You should finish school…it's very important."

"I know." He returned his attention back to the grass.

Kaoru looked at his form, the desire to touch him overwhelming.

"You know…you brought me out here to talk, but you're just playing with grass."

He flicked it to the ground and sat back, his forearms on the step behind him. "Sorry."

"How's your family?"

"Enough of the small talk Kenshin…really. What do you want?"

Kenshin resumed his previous position.

"I…wanted to try to mend our friendship."

"I told you I needed time."

"I know and I get that, but…I just have this feeling you're never gonna speak to me again."

"Why does that bother you?" She looked at him with hope.

He noticed it. "It's not that Kaoru." She looked away. "I miss my friend. We were friends before Tomoe came here…why can't we resume that friendship?"

"You know why." She said quietly.

"We were friends before we started going out; what if the relationship didn't work? Would you still be acting this way?"

She remained quiet.

"Kaoru come on…we've known one another for a while…"

"So what?" Her eyes were angry when she faced him. "Why does having me as a friend mean so much to you Kenshin? You have her, oh I'm sorry…I mean Tomoe. I'm insignificant."

"No you're not!"

She drew back from his expression.

"I care very deeply for you Kaoru…I always have, but my feelings for you romantically were beginning to change long before Tomoe came into the picture. I didn't want to hurt you then so I kept quiet."

"So when she came along, it gave you courage?" Her tone was nasty.

"I talked to someone about how I was feeling; they said it wouldn't be fair to you…I agreed with them." He turned from her gaze. "Even if Tomoe and I never met…even if I never fell for her…I still would have felt this way Kaoru."

"What do you want from me Kenshin?" She couldn't look at him.

"Nothing I guess. I can't force you to be my friend, but….I miss you." He looked at her, but she kept her head averted. "I miss my friend."

He waited for a respond, but when none came he got to his feet.

"Thanks for listening. I hope…one day we can talk again. See ya later."

Kaoru listened as he descended the steps; when she figured he was some distance away, she watched him until he disappeared. Once he was gone, she allowed her tears to fall.

**She's been avoiding him. Each time he tried to catch her in the halls, she would turn the other way or pretend she didn't see him; there were even times he thought she made it a point to be surrounded by people so he wouldn't approach her. He felt bad about what he did, but he couldn't help it.

She was cleaning the tables; at first, he thought she was alone, but then he appeared. His hair bounced with each step he took; he approached her, said something that made her laugh and kissed her. He hated the idea of him touching her; his hands began to ball into fist. After a brief conversation he started to return to the back, removing his apron in the process; she continued to clean, unaware of his presence.

"HEY!"

Kiyosato jumped at the loud voice; turning, he found Enishi grinning at him. His arm still in a cast.

"Enishi, you scared me." Kiyosato tried to smile.

"Why don't you come inside?" He walked past him. "You can sign my cast too."

"Enishi wait…I didn't…"

The door chimed as it opened. "HEY…KIYOSATO'S HERE! Wait here and I'll get a pen." Enishi ran behind the counter just as Tomoe stepped out; a look of surprise on her face.

"We're closed Kiyosato."

"Sorry…I wasn't here to…"

"I caught him outside. You have a pen Tomoe?" Enishi asked as he continued to look under the bar.

"Look in the office."

"Okay."

Tomoe stepped from around the bar. "If you were outside why didn't you knock?" She crossed her arms.

"I was just passing when Enishi…"

"Don't lie to me; why were you lurking…"

"I wasn't lurking Tomoe…geez, don't get so dramatic." His anger rose.

She lowered her arms and stared at him suspiciously.

"I can get my dad you know."

"No, wait…I'm sorry." He held up his hands. "Look…I wanted to talk to you."

"Were you able to talk to me during school?"

"No."

"Then that should have been your clue I had nothing to say to you." She turned.

"Tomoe please!"

"FOUND ONE!" Enishi emerged and rushed toward Kiyosato; he held up the pen. "Here."

Kiyosato took it absently.

"Just let me explain."

"I thought we were friends Kiyosato?"

"We are."

"Just draw something really cool." Enishi ordered.

Kiyosato had the pen stationed on the cast, but his eyes were still on Tomoe.

"You were trying to break Kenshin and me up." Tomoe declared.

"I just wanted to understand…what you saw in him."

"Why is that any of your business?" She approached him. "If you were my friend it wouldn't have mattered…you would just be happy for me."

Kiyosato stood to his full height. "Tomoe, you don't know him."

"Do you know something I don't?"

"No, but…."

"Tomoe…let him sign my cast." Enishi whined.

"Go in the back Enishi." She ordered.

"You can't boss me around."

"DAD!"

Yoritomo emerged, his body wrapped in a dirty apron.

"What is….hey Kiyosato."

Tomoe didn't face her father. "I'm trying to have a private conversation, but Enishi won't leave us alone."

"Enishi…give your sister some privacy."

"But dad."

"Come on now."

"Aw man." He started to move away. "Don't go until you sign my cast…okay Kiyosato?"

"Alright."

Tomoe finally turned, making sure they were alone; for a brief moment, she saw the hint of Kenshin's hair through the small window. She faced him once more.

"Let's go outside." She didn't wait for an answer; he followed obediently.

The chairs were stacked on the tables; Kiyosato quickly turned one over for himself and tried to do the same for Tomoe, but she beat him to it.

"Alright…explain." She demanded.

"I don't know anything about Kenshin; I was just trying to tell you to be careful." He was looking at his hands when he began, but now he faced her. "You seem to be totally in love with him…that's scary."

"Why does it scare _you_? _You're_ not in a relationship with him."

"Are you trying to tell me you're not scared you feel so strongly for someone you met not too long ago?"

"No…I was scared…hell, I'm still scared. Relationships are scary. Do you really think if you and I got together I wouldn't have this fear?"

He kept quiet.

"I don't understand you…we were friends." She asked sadly.

"I thought we still were?"

"Would a true friend do this Kiyosato? Would a true friend try to sabotage the other's happiness? Kenshin and I are happy together and I wish you and Kaoru would respect that."

"I'm sorry Tomoe. I didn't mean…"

She got to her feet.

"I don't know if I want to be your friend anymore."

His eyes shot up. "What…no." He stood. "Please…I'm sorry."

"I thought you were different, but…you're just as vindictive and jealous as Kaoru."

Kiyosato could feel his insides breaking.

"I won't stop your relationship with Enishi…that would be wrong, but…I'd appreciate it if you'd call first before you come over."

"Tomoe." His whisper held pain.

"I hope you respect my wishes…I don't want to have to tell my father….okay?"

Kiyosato was quiet. As Tomoe prepared to go back inside, Kenshin emerged glancing at the two.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine." She walked inside, tugging on Kenshin's arm in the process.

The two men glared at one another before Kenshin closed the door, locking it behind him.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Saturday arrived too soon for Kenshin; he was sitting at a desk in Mr. Kogoro's office. Katsura was behind his desk reading a book on the Heian period, his favorite era. Kenshin was catching up some math work he missed while he was gone; Katsura glanced up briefly, noticing Kenshin's anxious expression.

He lowered his book. "Are you having trouble with a problem?"

Kenshin turned his attention to his old teacher. "No sir…just thinking."

Katsura glanced at his watch and the wall clock; he closed his book and sat up.

"I think that's enough for today."

"But I didn't finish."

"You can finish when you return." Katsura got to his feet and tried to remove the book from Kenshin's desk, but he held onto it.

"I don't want Principal Hajime upset with me."

Katsura smiled, allowing a small laugh to escape him. "I'll inform Saito of the situation Kenshin; not to worry." He removed the book, throwing it onto the desk.

"Don't you have to meet your uncle?"

"Yeah." Kenshin sat back in his chair, thumping his pencil on the desk.

"Something on your mind?" Katsura folded his arms and leaned against his desk.

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"The house."

"You can't let it go huh?"

"It's stupid I know."

"No," he uncrossed is arms, resting his palms on the desk. "You grew up there; it's understandable to feel attachment to that."

"I wish there was some way we could…" He let the sentence linger and got to his feet. "Sorry Mr. Kogoro…I better get going."

"Kenshin." He faced his teacher. "I'm not sure what to tell you, but…things will get better."

Kenshin produced a small smile.

"Thanks."

"Have a good trip."

"Thank you sir…bye."

Katsura watched sadly as Kenshin exited.

**The ride appeared to have lasted forever, but they were finally there. Kenshin stared at the lush greenery situated around the complex with wonder; the yard was littered with a few people. Some were planting flowers, others were sitting under a shade; he scanned the faces looking for his mother, but couldn't spot her. He wondered how she was really getting along.

Kenji slowly pulled into the large parking lot; Kenshin opened the door before his uncle shut off the engine. When he heard his door open, that was when he spoke.

"This is nice uncle." He glanced around.

"Isn't it?" He stood beside him. "When I first saw it I was impressed by how…homely it looked; your mother fell in love with it too."

"It looks like a resort."

Kenji laughed. "I thought so too." He glanced around. "I like it."

He clapped Kenshin on the shoulder. "Come on."

As the door opened with a soft hiss, they were greeted with a cool breeze; Kenshin fell back as Kenji continued toward the reception desk. Kenshin took in a small room littered with round tables and a large couch; there were several people sitting around watching a television set. Three people were sitting at a card table; it was then he smiled.

"You're cheating again." Reiko stated.

"You're going blind young lady."

Reiko was playing cards with two of the residents; one was an elderly woman she shared a room with. The other was a man no older than Kenji.

Reiko peeked over the tops of her cards, hiding her smile.

"I can tell when you're cheating." She stated to the man.

"Ha." He threw down a card. "Beat that…gin!"

Reiko lowered her cards and stared at his hand. "You would be correct…if we were playing gin."

"We're playing poker you idiot." The elderly woman stated with a smile.

"Hey, at least I won."

Both women rolled their eyes at him; Reiko started to gather the cards.

"One more hand and…"

"Mom?"

Reiko stopped in mid-sentence; as she turned, her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Kenshin…my sweet baby!" She ran and threw her arms around him; he did the same.

"I missed you…my sweet baby." She cooed into his hair.

"I missed you too mom…so much."

She pulled back, keeping her hands on his cheeks. "Where's your…oh, there he is."

She briefly disengaged from her son to hug Kenji who stepped into the room; both had tears in their eyes.

"Is this your darling boy Reiko?" The elderly woman stated with a smile.

"Yes…guys, this is my roommate Kazue." They waved. "And this young man over here is Okita."

"You need to get your mom glasses young man." Okita stood to his feet. "She always accuses me of cheating."

"Because you do cheat." Kazue stated as she got to her feet; Okita offered her his arm which she took.

"Ah, you ladies are always picking on me."

Reiko watched with a smile as they headed out; she took Kenshin's hands into hers.

"Let's go outside; I want to show you my garden."

**He threw his legs over the side and rested his forearms on his thighs; he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. A soft moan sounded from behind him; turning his head slightly, his eyes locked onto Megumi's.

She turned over, placing a hand onto his back; he smiled at her.

"We better get going." He got to his feet and started to put on his clothes; Megumi watched for a while before he handed her clothes over.

"Do you want to do something later?" She asked as she buttoned up her blouse.

Sano, clad only in his jeans, stared at the draped window; a brief ray of sunlight was entering the room.

"Sano?" She called as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Sano faced her, noticing her bare legs; he came over and squatted before her. He kissed her briefly on the lips, rubbing her legs absently. She tugged on his hair playfully.

"Why so glum chum?" She stated with another tug.

He made a noise, taking her hand in his; he kissed her palm.

"You alright baby?" She asked quietly.

"I…I was going over there today." He lifted his gaze. "To see…him."

"But now you're not?"

"I don't know." As he laid his head in her lap, she rested her hand in his hair. "I don't want to look at his face Megumi; what if…what if I do something…"

"Don't talk like that. I know he hurt you Sano, but…"

He sat up and faced her. "He did more than that. He lied…kept my mom from me."

"Then why go over there?"

"Because." He got to his feet, ramming his hands deep inside his pockets.

"Because what?" She stood as well. "Sano, don't rush this; if you're not ready to face him then don't." She tugged on his chin. "Listen to me."

He faced her. Her tender eyes touched his heart; he brought her close to him and kissed the top of her head. They held one another for a while before departing the room.

After he dropped her home, he was thinking about going for a run, but for some reason he ended up on his street. It was oddly quiet for a Saturday he thought to himself; as he neared his house, he could hear the soft sound of music playing. He was one house down when he spotted his father washing his car; he watched him for a while as he mechanically did his duty.

After he had the car covered in soap, Hirata threw the sponge in a nearby bucket; when he walked over to the house, Sano lost sight of him briefly, but then his form remerged. He had a bottle of beer in his hand. Hirata stared at the car while he sipped from his bottle; for some reason, he turned and that was when he spotted Sano. Shocked was etched on his face.

"Sano…what…are you doing here?" Sano approached slowly. "Did you…come to collect the rest of your things?"

"No…I uh…wanted to talk to you."

Hirata's expression remained the same; rushing over to the radio, he turned it off.

"Sure."

"Maybe you should wash the suds off first; don't want to leave marks."

Hirata almost smiled.

"Yeah, it won't take long."

"I was…just gonna wait inside."

"Okay…sure."

Sano hurried inside, hoping his nerves wouldn't betray him; as he entered the kitchen, he headed for the window. He watched as his father quickly washed the suds off; once he was through, leaving the car dripping wet, he ran inside the house, leaving his beer in the yard. Sano was still standing by the window when Hirata entered the kitchen; he was drying his hands on his pants legs.

"Did you…have anything to eat? I made some stew last night…"

"No…thank you." Sano sat at the table. Hirata joined him.

"Thirsty?" Hirata asked.

Sano brought his hands together, but didn't answer.

Hirata did the same. "So…what's on your mind?"

Sano half-smiled. "As if you didn't know."

Hirata watched him sadly. "Oh…right."

"I'm going to live with Makoto over the summer; I want to get to know him better."

"That sounds good."

"He said his father hurt him too." He finally raised his eyes. "But that he came back begging for their forgiveness…his and moms."

Hirata nodded, unsure how to respond.

"It took him almost a year before he could even _look_ at his father."

"Sano." He started softly.

"Do you know how much you hurt me dad?"

Hirata, thrilled he was addressed as 'dad', was saddened by the look on his face.

"I know. Sorry doesn't begin to cover it."

"You did this…because you were upset with mom? Just because she fell in love with another man?" He didn't expect an answer, but he got one anyway.

"I'm not going to make excuses for myself Sano; what I did was wrong…selfish…and unforgiving. My mind was clouded with jealousy…hurt…whatever; I was thinking about myself."

Sano lowered his eyes.

"I don't expect you to forgive me right away…if at all. I just…I don't know really."

Sano's laugh was sarcastic. "You don't know much do you?" He faced him angrily.

Hirata did the same. "I do know I love you and hurting you tore me inside. I know that when you left I couldn't think straight, afraid something may have happened to you; I do know I want us to talk again…to be close again, but…" He stared at him, but Sano lowered his head.

"If I could take it back Sano I would…in a heartbeat, but…I can't undo it. I can only do what I can to make it right."

Sano didn't know what to say; he still didn't know why he was here. He slowly lifted his head and stared at his father; Hirata was staring at his hands. His face was worse than sad; Sano couldn't place it.

"I..."

The sound of his voice surprised Hirata; he lifted his eyes.

"I…don't know if I will ever be able to…forgive you dad."

Hirata could feel his heart breaking.

"But…" Sano caught his father's eyes. "I don't want to lose you."

"Sano…I swear to you." Hirata could feel his throat catching; he wanted so badly to touch his son's hand, but dared not move. "I will make…"

"Don't say it…please. I just…want to take this one step at a time….okay?"

Hirata smiled for the first time. "Whatever you want."

**Yoritomo glanced at his watch; he was getting frustrated just standing here.

_I'll give him five more minutes,_ he thought to himself.

During the lunch hour, Yoritomo received a call from Kiyosato; not wanting to run into Tomoe, he asked Mr. Yukishiro if he could meet him for a brief meeting. At first, Yoritomo was unsure whether he wanted to talk to the young man; after his conversation with Tomoe, he didn't think he wanted to hear what he had to say. But, after he spoke with Sakura regarding the situation, he thought hearing him out was a good choice.

"MR. YUKISHIRO!"

Yoritomo turned and found Kiyosato running in his direction; his arm was raised high and he had a smile pasted on his face.

"Sorry…I'm late. I was helping my mom with something."

"Not a problem."

Kiyosato asked to meet on the pier; the wind wasn't as brisk today and there were several families littering the docks. He and Mr. Yukishiro walked in silence for a while; Yoritomo glanced every once in a while out to sea.

"Is Enishi behaving himself?" Yoritomo asked after a while.

"Yes sir."

"Thank your parents for allowing him to stay there; I didn't think it was safe for him to be in the restaurant with his arm still in a cast."

"No problem sir…I'll do that."

Silence once more.

"I have to get back soon Kiyosato."

"Oh sure sir…uh…I just wanted to apologize."

Yoritomo stopped and stared at him.

"About the way I acted with Tomoe sir. I didn't mean to hurt her like that."

"I think it's her you should be saying this to."

Kiyosato faced the water. "If she would talk to me."

Yoritomo stared at him for a while.

"What reason did you have for doing it son?" Yoritomo asked. "Did you think by ruining her relationship…"

"I wasn't trying to ruin it sir; I just wanted to know why."

"Why she feels so strongly for a guy she hardly knows?"

Kiyosato smiled, believing he had an ally. "You see it too?"

"Of course I see it, I'm her father."

Kiyosato's smile remained.

"But you have to understand." Yoritomo continued. "You can only caution them once; it's up to them to make their own decisions."

"But how can a person do that when they're blind?"

"Are you saying Tomoe is blind?"

"No, that's not it at all." He was growing frustrated; he walked toward the railing and leaned over. Yoritomo followed.

"Let me ask you something…do you think Tomoe's bright?"

"Sure."

"Able to make her own decisions?"

"Yes."

"Knows when to back out of a bad situation?"

He paused before confirming.

"Then why don't you trust her instincts in this matter…..I do."

Kiyosato refused to look at him.

"We both know the only reason you're doing this is because you're jealous; you've had a crush on her since you were little." He caught a faint outline of blush. "That's understandable; childhood crushes are hard to get over."

"But you told me that you and Mrs. Yukishiro…"

"I know what I said and if that statement caused this then I'm sorry." He forced Kiyosato to look at him. "Listen to me, you're a bright and generous young man; the way you spend your free time with Enishi…that makes me very happy."

"I'm happy to do it."

"I know…thank you. But this side I'm seeing of you…it's not you; you're not some obsessed crazed person who can't take a hint…am I wrong?"

"I guess not."

"No. I bet this train of thought came from another source." Kiyosato kept quiet. "I know it hurt Tomoe to cease being friends with you; you two were like peas in a pod. For some, it goes further than that; for others…it stops, but that's okay. Friendship is just as good…just as awesome as any relationship and to throw that away because of what someone else was feeding you…it would be shameful."

Yoritomo glanced at his watch.

"I have to get back, but think about what I said…alright?"

"I will, but how can I make amends with Tomoe if she won't talk to me?"

Yoritomo smiled. "You two will find one another…trust me."

Kiyosato watched him curiously as his figure jogged down the pier.


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

She heard the words, but they didn't compute; she must have heard wrong. Maybe they should get out of the sun; if they went back inside the words should make sense – right?

"Mom?"

Reiko turned her attention to Kenshin who was sitting beside her. After she showed them her garden, she brought them over to a shaded area to talk; when they were finished catching up, Kenji got down to the reason for their visit.

"But…I don't understand." Reiko stated in confusion. "I thought the bank was helping us?"

"No," Kenji began. "Not in my opinion at least."

"The figures were too high mom; there's no way I can catch up to what they're asking."

"But…didn't you explain to them…"

"I've tried Reiko; they claim this is the best they could do. I'm sorry."

Reiko stared off. "So…we're gonna lose the house…when?"

"Probably in a month's time." Kenji stated. "Once I get home I'll head over there Monday; try to work some magic, but…I'm not hopeful of the outcome."

"I can't believe this." She whispered. "What about you?" She turned frantic eyes on Kenshin.

"I'll stay with coach."

"But…what about afterward? You can't stay with him forever."

"Once the house is sold we'll get a check." Kenji stated. "I told Kenshin he should have it."

Reiko started to nod. "Of course," she turned to him. "Use it to find a place for…"

"No mom. Uncle should keep it; he's been living…"

"Kenshin!" Reiko's voice held a desperate edge to it. "I will not have my son homeless. As your mother I am telling you to use that money and put a down payment on an apartment."

"But what if…"

"Don't worry about the small things baby; just get the apartment and go from there."

"We'll find you a reasonable one okay?" Kenji stated with an encouraging smile.

"Yes, you see. It'll be fine…do this for me."

"You better do as she says." Kenji said with humor. Both Kenshin and Reiko smiled.

"Yes ma'am." He watched her for a while before continuing. "When can you come…"

But he stopped before the final word could escape his mouth.

"I'm not sure honey."

"But you're better right? The medication you're taking…" Kenshin asked.

"I'm fine. I just need more work up done that's all." She smiled reassuringly.

The breeze began to pick up slowly; Reiko glanced at their faces.

"Come on, enough of the gloomy faces; let's have some fun while you're here." She stood to her feet. "I'll challenge you to a game of badminton."

"Are you sure?" Kenji asked standing. "I was always better than you."

"Ha, listen to him talk." She turned to Kenshin. "He only won because I let him."

"Just like a sister to forget." Kenji pretended to twirl a mustache. "I was the best in our household my dear…or have you forgotten."

Reiko approached him with a stern look on her face; Kenshin watched happily.

"Then challenge me sir…and let's place a little wager on it. I win, you bow down and kiss my feet."

Kenji laughed. "I'm not kissing your smelly feet."

"AH HA," she pointed an accusing finger at him. "…so you admit I'll win."

"I'm just saying…."

"Enough talk…let's play." Kenshin interrupted as he led them to the field.

**The weekend flew by quickly for Kenshin and his mom; with a heart-warming hug and kiss, he said good-bye to her with promises of seeing her once more. Kenshin, seeing how tired his uncle was, volunteered to take a train back home; although he denied being tired, Kenshin knew better. His uncle has been up and down the road too often; when they got back to his house, he was touched at the scene that took place.

His aunt and cousins were already back home waiting for him; Kenji brought his three children into a tight bear hug while his wife watched patiently. Once he had his fill of the children, he took his wife into his arms and held her as if starving for her touch; watching them made him think about Tomoe. It's always how he felt whenever he returned from visiting his mother; he wondered whether she felt the same.

When he got home, he slowly made his way inside; he touched every inch of the place, committing it to memory. When he was in the alcove, he took his father's picture down and went into the kitchen; there, he made a solidary meal and ate it with him. He talked to his father's picture about everything; even thoughts of possibly marrying Tomoe.

Although tired from his journey, he decided to call her; glancing at the clock, he saw that it was almost two in the morning. He had school the next day, but he didn't care; picking up the phone, he debated whether he wanted to wake her. He knew she wouldn't mind if he didn't because they would see one another tomorrow, but still…he needed to hear her.

He located her number, attached to a silly profile picture she took, and pressed the button. After several rings he started to regret his decision, but then her soft voice picked up.

"Hello?"

He knew she was sleeping; she would have known who it was before picking up.

"It's…me."

"Kenshin." He heard movement. "What time is it….two? When did you get back?"

"Probably around midnight…not really sure. Kind of tired when I hit the door."

"Oh. You didn't have to call, we would have seen each other tomorrow." She yawned. "Sorry."

He smiled at the image. "It's okay. I know…I…just wanted to talk to you."

"How's your mom?"

She sounded more awake. "Great. We played badminton…spent some time in her garden."

"At the hospital?"

"They moved her; into a nice place…looks like a resort. They have a yard and some other things; my mom planted a garden."

"Sounds wonderful, but I'm sure she's anxious to get out of there…misses her son."

"Yeah. Calls me her baby."

She laughed. "Awww…how cute."

"As long as she doesn't do it in public."

"Can I?"

He knew she was smiling which gladdened his heart. "I'll think about it."

"It was a nice visit." He spoke softly; he was tracing the contours of the couch cushions.

"I'm glad." She yawned again.

"You're either really tired of bored with my conversation." He smiled.

"Darn, thought I could hide it, but yeah…you are boring me."

"Such cruelty."

"It's all out of love sweetie." There was a thick silence she didn't like. "Kenshin?"

His sigh was filled with pain. "I'm here."

Tomoe sat up. "What's…"

"I know I have no right asking you this, but…is it possible you could come over? I…don't want to be alone right now."

Tomoe heard the pain in his voice.

"I…can't." She hated saying it.

"I know it's late and I'm asking a lot of you, but…"

"My parents'll kill me if…"

"I'll have you home before they wake up…I promise."

"Kenshin." She whispered.

"Please Tomoe…I need you right now."

**Tomoe agreed eventually. Kenshin promised to meet her halfway so she wouldn't walk in the dark; after throwing on some clothes, she checked each bedroom to make sure everyone was asleep. Once she was satisfied, she climbed out her window and down to the street; after walking several feet, she was surprised to find Kenshin standing down the lane. Instinctively, she rushed into his arms, enjoying the feel of his body.

At the house, Tomoe drew her legs up, causing her to sink deeper into the cushions; as she glanced around the semi-dark room, she noticed his father's picture sitting on the coffee table. She reached over and picked it up.

"Nice picture of him." She stated when he returned with a glass of juice. She replaced the picture and took her drink.

Kenshin sat beside her. "Thanks. I'm sorry about this…"

"It's okay." She smiled as she placed the glass beside the picture. "I've never snuck out before." She smiled.

"You like danger huh?"

She shrugged.

He leaned against the cushions. "I just…when I came home and saw it empty; it kind of hit me."

"When do you have to move out?"

"Later this month." He was staring at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry."

"Mom was upset about it, but I think she was most upset that I won't have a place to live."

"I thought you were staying with coach Hiko?"

"Not forever. From the money we'll get from selling, my mom said I could have it; Uncle Kenji's gonna help me find an apartment."

"Did his family move back home?"

Kenshin smiled, turning his head in her direction.

"Yeah. They were so happy to see each other."

She smiled, although she felt nervous. "That's good."

For some reason, the way Kenshin continued to stare at her made her insides jump; she could feel her cheeks burning from embarrassment. She broke the gaze.

"You're staring at me." Her voice cracked slightly.

"You don't like it?" His voice was low and held a husky tone.

"It's not that…"

"You know, watching them like that…it made me think of you."

She faced him once more. "How?"

"It's how I feel everytime I come back from visiting my mom."

"How you feel?" She stared at him.

"Starving," he reached out and caressed her cheek. "For you."

This time she did blush.

"I…think I better go."

Tomoe got to her feet quickly, but Kenshin had a hold of her arm; when she stood, he did as well. He stepped closer to her, his head tilted downward; he cupped her face and touched her lips softly.

He drew back slightly.

"Do you know how much I love you Tomoe?"

"Kenshin."

He kissed her again; by reflex, she brought her hands up and wrapped them around his forearms. He drew back once more and looked into her eyes; she looked down, causing Kenshin to laugh softly.

"Why are you so embarrassed?"

"It's just…."

"Tell me." He whispered as he kissed her once more, but this time it deepened.

Tomoe brought her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her; Kenshin gathered her body into his embrace, pulling them to the couch. As he sat, she straddled his form; the kiss quickened; Kenshin ran his hands under her shirt, touching her bare back. His mouth moved to the nape of her neck; Tomoe closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his mouth, his hands, his body, and his moans.

Kenshin twisted around, gently placing her below him; he hovered above her, still planting kissing on her neck. Tomoe ran her hands through his hair which had fallen around them; Kenshin's touch was becoming desperate as he ran his hands along her stomach.

"Kenshin." She moaned.

As Kenshin grazed the underside of her bra, he stopped. His breathing was heavy as he remained planted near her ear; she stopped, confused by his actions.

"Kenshin?"

He sat up and looked down at her; he removed his hand and touched her cheek.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

Kenshin sat back, bringing her along with him; leaning forward, he ran his hands up and down his face.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry." He whispered through his hands.

Tomoe looked away embarrassed. "I wasn't complaining."

He looked at her and smiled; he leaned over and kissed her softly.

"I love you and I want you…really badly, but…not like this. I shouldn't have asked you here tonight."

Tomoe brought her legs to the floor and scooted closer to him; she placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him.

"It doesn't matter where…as long as…"

"It matters to me." He smiled at her. "Call me old fashioned, but…" He didn't finish.

Tomoe was touched by this.

"I better get you home." He got to his feet, pulling her up in the process. He held her close to him, smiled once more and kissed her nose.

"Old fashioned huh?" She raised an eyebrow. "What if I don't want to wait?"

"Then you'll just have to seduce me."

"Or tie you up…that might be fun."

He burst out laughing.


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

As she entered the school doors, she spotted him right off; smiling to herself and blushing from last night, she rushed to his form, but stopped. He was standing in front of Kaoru; not wanting to interrupt his conversation, she turned and walked away, bumping into a familiar face.

"Sor…hey Kiyosato."

"Morning Tomoe."

"Didn't mean to run into you."

"It's cool." He looked past her. "Looks like Kenshin's…"

"Talking to his friend…I saw that."

Kiyosato looked at her stern face.

"I wasn't implying anything."

"Really? Want to go over and say hello to Kaoru?"

Kiyosato lowered his head. "I'm sorry about that…sorry I ruined our friendship." He faced her. "I'm hoping to make amends for it."

Tomoe stared at him, unsure whether to trust his words.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me now or later…just know that I'm sorry. I took our friendship and messed it up…that was stupid; I should have known better."

"Why did you do it?" She asked quietly.

"Jealously." He shrugged. "It seems I was always after you and you…" She looked away. "Well…it doesn't matter now…all in the past."

"Kiyosato." She met his gaze; she was surprised he was smiling.

"You're my best friend Tomoe…always have been. I hope we can return to that. I'll see ya later."

Kiyosato walked past her; she turned and watched him go. She was surprised when he approached Kenshin; she watched Kenshin's expression turn from hard to soft. Kiyosato held out a hand and Kenshin took it slowly; they shook briefly before Kiyosato departed. It was then Kenshin noticed her standing there; he made to approach her, but she made a few hand gestures telling him to finish his conversation. He smiled and waved as she left.

Kaoru watched Tomoe until she disappeared around a corner.

"I bet she's waiting for you." Kaoru stated as Kenshin faced her again.

"She is. Sorry about the interruption…you were saying?"

Annoyed by his nonchalant attitude, she sighed before leaning onto a nearby locker.

"Why repeat it?"

Kenshin stared at her with amusement.

"Kaoru…we can stand here all day and talk about whatever, but I have class and you have class; you dragged me out here for a reason so…" He lifted his arms.

"If you're gonna be that way…" Kenshin turned. "ALRIGHT…sorry."

He faced her.

"I just…wanted to say I'm sorry."

"For?"

"You know…the whole trying to break up you and Tomoe thing."

"Thanks, but I'm past that."

"Oh." She started playing with the loose papers in her hands.

"I was hoping you wanted to talk about rekindling our friendship."

"I told you…that may take a while."

He nodded. "It's cool." He glanced at his watch. "I wanted to head to class, so…"

"No…fine…off you go."

He smiled at her. "You know Kaoru, if you wanted to talk to me you can; my number hasn't changed."

She opened her mouth to make a smart comment, but refrained from doing so.

"Just not too late."

"Right."

"I'll see you around then."

She watched him go, her voice caught in her throat; she wanted to say something else, but couldn't. Instead, she turned and made her way to class.

Kenshin found Tomoe sitting in the stairwell; she was glancing through a book. He sat next to her, kissing her cheek.

"Did you and Kaoru make up?" She asked with her eyes on the book.

"Don't know…balls in her court."

She caught his eye. "Tell me why I wasn't jealous when I saw you talking to her?"

"Because you trust me." He stated.

"Nah, that can't be it." She returned her gaze to the book, trying to hide a smile.

He scooted closer to her, bringing his lips close to her ear. "Maybe it's because…"

"Geez guys, can't you give it a rest?"

Surprised by the intrusion, they turned and found Yahiko standing behind them; he was accompanied by Sano. Sano had his bag thrown over his shoulder.

"What's up?" Kenshin greeted as Sano leaned onto the bannister; Yahiko stationed himself near the window. "How was your weekend?"

"Not bad…yours?" Sano asked.

"Good…considering."

"Where's Megumi?" Tomoe asked.

"Breakfast…think I saw Kaoru talking to her."

"Yeah, Kaoru looked like of…less angry." Yahiko stated. "You say something to her Kenshin?"

"Not me." He got to his feet, helping Tomoe in the process. "How's…you and your dad?" Kenshin asked with caution.

"One step at a time." He briefly smiled.

"That's good."

They walked down the stairs together.

"Over the summer I'll be in the city with Makoto." Sano stated as they reached the bottom. "Getting to know my big brother."

"That's cool man." Kenshin said with happiness. "I hope things work out."

"You are coming back right?" Tomoe asked with a smile.

"Have to…Megumi won't get along without me." He smirked.

"Don't let her hear you saying that." Yahiko stated as he passed them. "We're gonna be late Sano…you coming!"

"Yeah sure…see ya guys."

"Bye." Tomoe called after his form. She turned to Kenshin. "Ready for class?"

"Not really, but…what can you do right? Meet me for lunch?"

"Sure."

"Have a good day."

"You too."

And they parted company.

**Before Kenshin went to work, he had to grab a few things from the house; he rushed home just to stop mid-stride when he reached the drive. He didn't understand why a large moving van was stationed out front; they weren't supposed to move out until later this month.

Fearful, he ran up and glanced into the van; thankfully it was still empty. He rushed inside and heard the faint sound of people talking; he entered the living room and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What…what.." He started.

"Hey baby." His mother greeted as she got to her feet; she approached her son and gave him a hug, but he didn't return it. Pulling back, she looked into his eyes. "What's the matter?"

Kenshin found his eyes burning. "What…what are you doing…"

"I'm getting things settled. I hope you don't mind, but I switched out that ugly chair in the corner; I also had a new system installed in your…" She stopped when her gaze returned to him.

"Kenshin?" His face worried her.

"Is everything alright?" A tall, thin man with a thin mustache approached them; he had a clipboard in his hands.

"Yes, would you mind waiting in the kitchen while I speak to my son please?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

She waited until the man disappeared.

"Kenshin honey, do you want something to drink?'

"No mom." He whispered, his voice filled with confusion and hurt for some reason.

She smiled, touching his scarred cheek in the process.

"I wanted it to be a surprise when you returned from work."

"I…forgot something."

"Do you want to sit?" Without waiting for an answer, she led him to the couch; he sat obediently, never taking his eyes off her.

"When you and your uncle came to visit me, I was in the process of being discharged."

"You…you were?" She nodded. "Why didn't you…"

"I wanted to surprise you. I was going to be discharged within a month, but when you told me about the house being sold; well, I knew I had to rush it. Thankfully, the doctors approved it early."

"Who's…"

"That's Mr. I'izuka…from the bank."

"But Uncle Kenji was…."

"I was always beating him to the punch…this is no exception." She smiled and Kenshin joined in. "Mr. I'izuka and I came to an agreement about the payments and the house…after receiving a little surprise of my own."

"What?"

Reiko smiled broadly as she explained.

Kenshin's mouth opened wide.

**When he entered the restaurant, his mind was in a daze; the place was still littered with people, but he didn't see them. Enishi was standing behind the counter cleaning a few dishes with one hand; he called to Kenshin, but he just raised his hand mechanically. He continued on his way into the back.

He found Mrs. Yukishiro in her usual spot; she turned when she sensed someone behind her and smiled.

"He's in the back."

Kenshin made his way through the throng of people preparing food; Yoritomo was standing next to a cook who was kneading out dumplings.

"Mr…Yukishiro?" Kenshin called in a soft voice.

Yoritomo turned and smiled; he patted the cook on the back before approaching Kenshin.

"Hey there."

Kenshin stared at him, his heart almost breaking; worried, Yoritomo placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Looking into this man's gentle eyes caused him to throw his arms around his beefy frame; surprised at the gesture, Yoritomo wrapped his arms around him too.

"Th…thank you Mr. Yukishiro!" His voice was muffled, but Yoritomo heard.

Yoritomo, touched by his affection, held him closer.

Back in the office, Sakura handed Kenshin a few tissues; he was sitting next to her desk. Yoritomo had a spare chair across from them.

"Why…did you do it?" Kenshin asked.

"Why not? I couldn't stand by and see you lose your house; not after all you've been through."

"But…you hardly know me."

Yoritomo and Sakura laughed.

"You and Tomoe are on the same playing field Yoritomo." Sakura commented, generating a smile from Kenshin. She held his hands. "We were happy to do it."

"When Tomoe told us what happened, the wife and I…"

"The wife?" She interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"What…you are my wife aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I have a name."

"Pardon me…Mrs. Yukishiro and I…"

"Uh hem…my name technically isn't Yukishiro…" She started, crossing her legs in the process.

"Honey…would you mind?' Yoritomo declared with good humor. Kenshin smiled at them; Sakura smiled back, giving him a small wink. "Anyway…we did some figuring."

"We knew your mom was coming back today." Sakura started. "Yoritomo went to pick her up and that's when he told her about our plan."

"I was thrilled to see her happy, but." Yoritomo blushed.

"She was still gushing over him when they entered; thought I was gonna get the wrong idea." She looked at him. "As if any woman could put up with you."

"You did." His smile was toothy.

"Don't remind me."

Kenshin loved how they joked around with one another.

"Anyway," Yoritomo continued. "I told her it was no problem; when she goes back to work I'll remain on the contract. This basically makes the bank happy."

"Unfortunately, they didn't trust your mother wouldn't…relapse." She said in all seriousness.

"But I know your mom is strong. I just wanted to be your crutch."

"You mean our wings."

They stared at Kenshin's emotional face.

"You saved us….how can I ever repay you two?"

"Dad!"

As Tomoe pushed open the door, her face dropped as she looked around.

"What's going on….oh…did you tell him?" She said with excitement.

"Yes honey." Sakura put in.

She approached Kenshin. "Isn't it great?"

"It's terrific."

"What did you need dear?" Yoritomo asked.

"Oh, Peter needed some help with the chopper; he says it's stuck, but…you know him."

Yoritomo rolled his eyes as he got to his feet.

"Be right there." He faced Kenshin. "Go home…get your mom settled."

Kenshin stood as well. "Thanks."

Yoritomo turned, but then stopped.

"Oh...Kenshin…if you really wanted to make it up to us…you could do one thing."

"Anything sir."

Yoirtomo smiled. "That smile on Tomoe's face…make sure it stays there."

Kenshin smiled as well.

"I'll make sure to keep her that way sir…as long as I'm breathing…I'll protect her happiness."

**THE END**


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